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Construction Projects (construction + project)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Engineering	36%
Humanities and Social Sciences	22%
Business, Economics, Finance and Accounting	18%

Distribution within Engineering

General & Introductory Civil Engineering & Construction	61%
General & Introductory Architecture	25%

Selected Abstracts

Numerical Methods to Simulate and Visualize Detailed Crane Activities

COMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 3 2009
Shih-Chung Kang
One major consideration for virtual construction is the simulation of the operation of construction equipment for a construction project. This research specifically focuses on developing a mathematical model to support the simulation and visualization of cranes, the most critical equipment in terms of project controls. This model is composed of two submodels,a kinematics model and a dynamic model. The kinematics model is to present the crane components controlled by the operators. The dynamic model is to present the dynamic behavior in suspended system (including the cable and rigging object), which cannot be controlled directly by the operators. To verify the feasibility of these methods, a computer program that simulates and visualizes detailed crane activities was developed. This program supports the real-time visualization of crane activities with high degree of reality accuracy and also, enables the detailed simulation of long-term construction projects. [source]

From First Design Brainstorm Session to Final Coat of Paint: Communication, an Essential Constant

NEW DIRECTIONS FOR STUDENT SERVICES, Issue 101 2003
Jerry Price
Hundreds of variables must be considered when undertaking even the smallest construction project. When renovating a still-occupied seven-hundred-bed residence complex, however, the details to manage seem endless. Effective communication among all parties,especially students,is essential to completing the project successfully. [source]

Effectiveness of the training program for workers at construction sites of the high-speed railway line between Torino and Novara: Impact on injury rates

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 12 2009
A. Bena MD
Abstract Background There are very few published studies evaluating the impact of safety and health training on injury outcomes in the construction industry. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the training program on injury rates at a major railway construction project. Methods The population consisted of 2,795 workers involved in a safety training program at the construction sites of the high-speed railway line Torino,Novara. Two types of analyses were carried out in order to assess the effectiveness of the training program in reducing the number of injuries: (i) a pre,post analysis, which took into account the fact that workers were enrolled at different times and the training intervention did not occur at the same time for all subjects; (ii) an interrupted time-series model, which corrected for the time trend and considered the autocorrelation between individual observations. Results Twenty-nine percent of workers who spent at least 1 day at the construction sites attended at least one training module. Pre,post analysis: At the end of the training program, the incidence of occupational injuries had fallen by 16% after the basic training module and by 25% following the specific modules. Time-series model: Training led to a 6% reduction in injury rates, which was not statistically significant. Conclusions The training program that was implemented had a moderately positive impact on the health of workers. Further studies are being conducted to obtain a more complete assessment of the actual effectiveness of the program in reducing the incidence of injuries. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:965,972, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

The EmTech Wave Canopy 2009

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, Issue 1 2010
Michael Weinstock
Abstract Michael Weinstock describes the constraints and creativity behind the Wave Canopy, the EmTech Masters programme construction project for 2009, which was located on the upper terrace of the Architectural Association's premises in Bedford Square. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Virtuelles Bauen und partnerschaftliche Geschäftsmodelle , eine innovative Verbindung

BAUTECHNIK, Issue 7 2006
Mike Gralla Univ.-Prof.
Durch eine frühe Zusammenarbeit von Bauherrn, Planern und Bauunternehmen können mit partnerschaftlichen Geschäftsmodellen wesentliche Nachteile von herkömmlichen Geschäftsbeziehungen im Bauwesen aufgelöst werden. Die enge Zusammenarbeit in einer frühen Phase eines Bauvorhabens ermöglicht eine fachübergreifende Optimierung hinsichtlich Planung, Bauausführung und Nutzung einer Immobilie. Hierbei sind die Methoden des virtuellen Bauens zweckmäßige Hilfsmittel, um die Koordination des Projekts und die Kommunikation zwischen den an einem Bauvorhaben beteiligten Partnern zu verbessern. Deshalb hat sich insbesondere bei partnerschaftlichen Geschäftsmodellen, die eine Preconstruction-Phase enthalten, die Verwendung von virtuellem Bauen als besonders wirksam erwiesen. Virtuelles Bauen unterstützt die Optimierung eines Bauwerks und hilft bei der anschaulichen Kommunikation von Optimierungsergebnissen durch die Visualisierung mit interaktiven Computermodellen. Virtual Design and Construction (ViCon) führt das virtuelle Bauen in die tägliche Planungs- und Baupraxis ein und ist eine Schlüsseltechnologie des Bauwesens. ViCon wird in der Praxis bei zahlreichen Projekten eingesetzt, die mit dem partnerschaftlichen Geschäftsmodell PreFair durchgeführt werden. In diesem Beitrag werden die Einsatzmöglichkeiten von ViCon an ausgewählten Beispielen dargestellt. Virtual construction and partnership-based business models , an innovative combination. When clients, design engineers and construction companies work together within the framework of partnership-based business models from an early stage, major disadvantages of traditional business relationships in the construction sector can be eliminated. Close cooperation in an early phase of a construction project makes for interdisciplinary optimization with regard to a property's design, construction and utilization. In this context, the methods of virtual construction are useful tools to improve communication between the parties involved in a construction project. Using virtual construction has therefore proved to be particularly effective when working with partnership-based business models that comprise a preconstruction phase. Virtual construction helps to optimize building structures and assists in graphically communicating optimization results by way of visualization with interactive computer models. Virtual Design and Construction (ViCon) introduces virtual construction in the daily design and construction work and is a key technology in the construction industry. In practice, ViCon is employed in numerous projects that are implemented based on the PreFair business model. Using selected examples, this article shows the range of ViCon's possible application. [source]

Fuzzy Monte Carlo Simulation and Risk Assessment in Construction

COMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 4 2010
N. Sadeghi
However, subjective and linguistically expressed information results in added non-probabilistic uncertainty in construction management. Fuzzy logic has been used successfully for representing such uncertainties in construction projects. In practice, an approach that can handle both random and fuzzy uncertainties in a risk assessment model is necessary. This article discusses the deficiencies of the available methods and proposes a Fuzzy Monte Carlo Simulation (FMCS) framework for risk analysis of construction projects. In this framework, we construct a fuzzy cumulative distribution function as a novel way to represent uncertainty. To verify the feasibility of the FMCS framework and demonstrate its main features, the authors have developed a special purpose simulation template for cost range estimating. This template is employed to estimate the cost of a highway overpass project. [source]

Numerical Methods to Simulate and Visualize Detailed Crane Activities

Modeling the Dynamics of an Infrastructure Project

COMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 4 2005
Long Duy Nguyen
These problems result in low project performance and poor project outcome. A dynamic simulation model is proposed to capture the dynamics of construction projects in the construction phase. Eight key feedback structures from previous models of project dynamics and the unique characteristics of construction projects are identified as dynamic hypotheses. They include the structures of labor, equipment, material, labor and equipment interaction, schedule, rework, safety, and quality. Subsequently, a formal simulation model is mathematically formulated in terms of stock and flow diagrams. The model is then calibrated into a real project under construction. Part of testing indicates that the simulated behavior of the model and the actual behavior of the project are similar. This implies that the model is able to simulate the dynamics of the project and, consequently, to enhance project monitoring and control. [source]

Managing conflict in construction megaprojects: Leadership and third-party principles

CONFLICT RESOLUTION QUARTERLY, Issue 2 2008
Lee L. Anderson Jr.
This article examines the importance of conflict resolution skills and techniques when managing the complex relationships and interdependence necessary for large-scale construction projects. Partnering between multiple public and private organizations is often required in order for these projects to succeed. The authors examine the specific partnering skills that contributed to the success of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge project. [source]

Environmental management in large-scale building projects,learning from Hammarby Sjöstad

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2002
Rolf Johansson
In an old industrial and harbour area of Stockholm, a new city for 30 000 people will be built in the next ten years. The Hammarby Sjöstad project is unique in its size and municipal organization as well as in its ambitious environmental objectives. In a case study based on interviews and document analysis, the environmental management process of this project is researched. The City of Stockholm will follow up the compliance with set goals; our study is a qualitative one focusing on the management process. We develop concepts and models as an aid for municipal management of future construction projects. Many factors outside the formal ones are considered important. Data is structured chronologically as events and from a stakeholder perspective, including the City, the developers and the contractors. The main focus is, however, on the City's Project Management Team. Collected data is furthermore analysed with the aid of key concepts, derived from organization theory, planning and construction practice and as suggested by the data. Preliminary results indicate that the continued study of informal means of control is just as important as that of the formal ones, and that identifying key situations and tools for environmental management should be in focus for the rest of the research study. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment [source]

Managing Interdependence: The Effects of Outsourcing Structure on the Performance of Complex Projects,

DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 1 2008
Pamsy P. Hui
ABSTRACT The outsourcing of complex activities has become a common organizational practice. Yet very little research has focused on the implications of how these activities are divided up among outsourcing partners. Drawing on structural contingency theory, we argue that: (1) because activities within stages of complex projects are highly interdependent, outsourcing structures where owner firms do not maintain high levels of dominance over the activities that are performed will pose control and coordination challenges, leading to poor project performance; (2) the adverse effects of poorly structured outsourcing arrangements will spill over to subsequent project stages when activities are interdependent across project stages; and (3) dividing activities among large numbers of contractors or distributing work evenly among contractors exacerbates coordination and control problems further contributing to poor project performance. Our empirical analysis of 323 capital facility construction projects supports our predictions. Overall, these results provide strong evidence that some outsourcing structures are more costly than others and that because of the nature of complex projects the detrimental effects of poorly structured outsourcing are often not completely observable at the time activities are completed. We discuss the implications of our findings for capital construction and for outsourcing more generally. [source]

Austria's Koralm tunnel: one of the world's largest tunnel projects

GEOMECHANICS AND TUNNELLING, Issue 4 2008
Article first published online: 19 AUG 200
The Koralm railway line is currently one of the most prestigious construction projects of ÖBB-Infrastruktur Bau AG. In 2018 the new 130 km long two-track electrified route is supposed to raise the capacities and reduce travel times along this important northsouth railway axis. The 33 km long, ambitious Koralm tunnel forms the core piece of this line. Forcing the track development in Austria, ÖBB-Infrastruktur Bau AG focuses on the development of the main connections to high performance routes such as the Koralm railway line, the four-track development of the Danube line and of the Lower Inn Valley route. Furthermore, ÖBB invests in the modernisation of its largest stations, many suburban service projects, enhanced tunnel safety, noise protection measures as well as park & ride facilities and extensive reinvestments in the existing rail network. [source]

Transformationsraum Fotografie: Berlin-Hellersdorf am Übergang von DDR Zu BRD

GERMAN LIFE AND LETTERS, Issue 4 2010
Svea Bräunert
ABSTRACT Built between 1979 and 1991, the housing complex Berlin-Hellersdorf was one of the last and most ambitious construction projects of the GDR. Located at the interstice between East and West Germany, Hellersdorf can thus be seen as a space conducive to thinking about the 1990s post-socialist transformations. The 1998 interdisciplinary project,Peripherie als Ort. Das Hellersdorf Projekt,picks up on this idea. Focusing on the works of Ulrich Wüst and Helga Paris, who have contributed to the,Hellersdorf Project, the following essay analyses the role photography and architecture play as indices of socio-political and spatial transitions. Entering into a dialogue with photography, East German prefab housing, commonly referred to as ,Platte', becomes a mnemonic space whose parallactic perspectives are materially bound to the past without denying the changing present. As such, Hellersdorf presents itself as a complex space outside Berlin's city centre that invites reflections about the transformations that have taken place since German unification. Die zwischen 1979 und 1991 errichtete Großsiedlung Berlin-Hellersdorf war eines der letzten und ehrgeizigsten Wohnungsbauprojekte der DDR. Solcherart am direkten Übergang von DDR zu BRD lokalisiert, kann Hellersdorf als Denkraum verstanden werden, anhand dessen sich die postsozialistischen Transformationsprozesse der 1990er-Jahre exemplarisch nachvollziehen und problematisieren lassen. An diesen Gedanken anknüpfend, entstand 1998 das interdisziplinäre Vorhaben,Peripherie als Ort. Das Hellersdorf Projekt, an dem sich unter anderem die Fotograf/innen Ulrich Wüst und Helga Paris beteiligten. Von ihren Arbeiten ausgehend, untersucht der vorliegende Essay die Bedeutung von Fotografie und Architektur als Indizes des Übergangs. Im Dialog mit der Fotografie wird der Plattenbau zum parallaktischen Erinnerungsraum, der in einer materiellen Verbindung mit der Vergangenheit steht, ohne jedoch die Veränderungen der Gegenwart leugnen zu können. Damit bietet Hellersdorf einen komplexen Raum abseits des Berliner Zentrums, der zum Nachdenken über die Transformationsprozesse seit der deutschen Vereinigung einlädt. [source]

Health Care and Pension Benefits for Construction Workers: TheRole of Prevailing Wage Laws Health Care and Pension Benefits for Construction Workers

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 2 2000
Jeffrey S. Petersen
This article examines the affect of state prevailing wage laws (PWLs) on the amount and mix of wages and benefits paid to construction workers. PWLs require contractors who win bids on state-financed construction projects to pay compensation rates equivalent to those prevailing in local construction markets. During 1982-1992, 6 states repealed their PWLs, 9 states who never had a PWL did not enact one, and 32 states kept their PWLs. Data from the Form 5500 series, the Census of Construction Industries, the Current Employment Statistics, and the Current Population Survey are combined to evaluate the effects of PWL repeals on compensation. When comparing the experiences of different states, PWLs enhance both wages and benefits, with the largest percentage increase going toward employer pension contributions. PWLs appear to create an incentive for both employers to pay and workers to accept a larger percentage of their total compensation in the form of benefits. [source]

Using Private-Public Linkages to Regulate Environmental Conflicts: The Case of International Construction Contracts

JOURNAL OF LAW AND SOCIETY, Issue 1 2002
Oren Perez
The article takes a pluralistic view of the ,trade-environment' conflict by exploring one of the settings of this conflict: the lex constructionis, international construction law. It seeks to unravel the way in which the unique structural-cultural attributes of this legal domain have affected its environmental (in)sensitivity. The article's main argument in that context is that the contractual tradition of the lex constructionis (as manifested in the standard contracts that dominate this field) and its unique institutional structure, have created a culture of ecological indifference. This culture has important practical consequences because of the deep ecological problematic of international construction projects. The article develops an alternative contractual model, which depicts the construction contract as a semi-political mechanism, rather than a private tool. This conceptual change seeks to break the public/private separation that characterizes the contractual discourse in the international construction market. The article explores, further, whether this alternative contractual vision could be realized in practice, and proposes several implementing modules which could further this goal. While the article explores a particular international regime, its methodology and conclusions , in particular, the political-constitutional interpretation of the contract and the critique of the public/private dichotomy (see sections III.3 and III.4) , should be relevant to the regulation of many other (national or international) environmental dilemmas. [source]

Assessing OSHA Performance: New Evidence from the Construction Industry

JOURNAL OF POLICY ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2001
David Weil
The determinants of OSHA performance can be examined by breaking the regulatory process into three elements relating to enforcement, compliance behavior, and the adequacy of standards in addressing safety outcomes. This paper develops and applies this framework to the U.S. construction industry during the period 1987 to 1993. Enforcement activity among the firms in the sample was substantial, with firms facing a high probability of annual inspection. But, despite this significant enforcement effort, inspections have a modest effect on firm compliance with OSHA standards. Finally, the health and safety standards cited most frequently diverge from the major sources of fatalities and injuries on construction projects. These results suggest that historic enforcement policies toward construction make less sense as OSHA moves into its fourth decade of operation. More generally, the paper illustrates the problem of focusing enforcement resources on large, high‐profile companies even though they often are not the major source of regulatory problems in an established area of public policy intervention. © 2001 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. [source]

The Economic Impact of Sports Stadium Construction: The Case of the Construction Industry in St. Louis, MO

JOURNAL OF URBAN AFFAIRS, Issue 2 2002
Phillip A. Miller
This article examines the St. Louis construction industry's employment with special attention given to the periods during which the Kiel Center and the Trans World Dome were being built. We analyze whether the construction of a major sports stadium increases construction industry employment. An econometric model is developed to explain the times series trend of construction industry employment in the St. Louis SMSA. The statistical evidence suggests that the levels of employment in the construction industry were neither higher nor lower during the construction of these stadia. It is argued that construction on these projects merely substituted for other construction projects in this SMSA. [source]

Disability retirement among workers involved in large construction projects

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 6 2010
Johnny Dyreborg MSc
Abstract Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of disability pension among workers engaged in the construction of the Øresund Link or the Copenhagen Metro, representing high levels of safety management. Methods The study subjects (n,=,1,808) were followed for disability retirement. Age standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated and compared with SIRs of disability pension established in a previous study of workers engaged in the construction of the Great Belt Link (N,=,5,882), representing a low level of safety management. Results Compared with all economically active men, the age SIR of disability retirement was 2.22 (95% CI,=,1.61, 2.98) among the study subjects and 2.29 (95% CI,=,1.9, 2.67) among workers at the Great Belt Link. Conclusion No significant progress was found in the incidence of disability pension among the study subjects despite substantial improvements in safety management compared with the Great Belt Link. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53: 596,600, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Off-gas treatment carbon footprint calculator: Form and function

REMEDIATION, Issue 1 2008
Lowell Kessel
The quantification of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can be a powerful sustainability measurement indicator for assessing environmental impacts of various operations, which can include remediation of chemically impacted media or construction projects. A carbon footprint calculator was developed and is presented in this article as one tool for applying sustainable practices to environmental remediation,specifically to assess the GHG footprint for remediation projects. The calculator is constructed from a compilation of published metrics and "standards." © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]

Qualitätssicherung bei der Verwendung von hochfestem Beton

BETON- UND STAHLBETONBAU, Issue 2 2005
Frank Dehn Dr.-Ing.
Die Verwendung von hochfestem Beton hat in den letzten Jahren stetig zugenommen. Dies belegen mehrere nationale und internationale Bauvorhaben [1], [2], [3]. Als Hauptargumente für die Verwendung dieser Betone werden vielfach die verbesserten Dauerhaftigkeitseigenschaften und die statisch-konstruktiven Aspekte, wie z. B. die Reduzierung von Überbaudicken, genannt. Aus Sicht der Betontechnologie sollen in den nachfolgenden Abschnitten einige Aspekte der Qualitätssicherung für hochfesten Beton beschrieben werden. Hinsichtlich der praktischen Erfahrungen mit hochfestem Beton im Brückenbau wird auf den folgenden Beitrag "Brücken aus hochfestem Beton , Praxiserfahrungen mit Pilotprojekten in Sachsen und Thüringen" auf Seite 106 bis 115 in diesem Heft verwiesen. Quality Assurance for the use of ready-mixed High Strength Concrete (HSC). The application of high strength concretes has been increased continuously in the recent years. This is shown by several national and international construction projects [1], [2], [3]. As main criterions for the use of these concretes improved durability properties but also static-constructive aspects are mentioned, e.g. the reduction of superstructure thicknesses. In the following chapters from a concrete technological point of view some aspects for a quality assurance of high strength concrete are described. Some practical experiences with high-strength concrete for bridges constructions are described in paper "Brücken aus hochfestem Beton , Praxiserfahrungen mit Pilotprojekten in Sachsen und Thüringen" on p. 106 to 115 in this magazine. [source]

Creating whole life value proxemics in construction projects

BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 3 2001
Robin Holt
Whole life value is introduced as a concept for evaluating construction projects, which extends beyond the more typical use of optimized (equilibrium) utility preferences. By linking value and sustainability the concept allows for the consideration of ,price-less' evaluations within the construction project process. As an industry exposed perhaps more than any other to issues of public space and environmental impact, construction is being driven towards the use of complex, multi-issue consultations with stakeholders within which whole life value can operate as a contextual limit. By investigating traditional cost,benefit analysis routes, and then what are called ,aspects of sustainability', an argument is advanced for these consultations to be ongoing rather than one-off events. As such, they are to concern themselves with the framework of relationships (proxemics) by which distinct evaluations might be articulated and understood through the project process, rather than just how one arrives at a consensus of opinion. It is argued that the concept of value can only be applied fully to any project if consideration has been given to the ambience and context of stakeholder relations and attitudes as opposed to just the prevailing opinions. The virtue of such stakeholder involvement lies not in its ,rubber stamping' a separate process of activity, but in ensuring value is realized across asset life through a focus on attaining and sustaining conditions for the reflective articulation of need. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment [source]