<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
In the face of several uncertainties in the construction industry, conflicts and disputes seem inevitable. The aim of this systematic literature review of methodologies for prevention and resolution of conflicts was to develop an updated guidance for conflict management in the construction industry. To achieve this, we developed a novel tool termed Modified Reporting Items for Structured Reviews in Engineering and Technology (MORISE) that considered a modified tool from the original literature review method Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Three databases, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and American Society for Civil Engineers (ASCE), were searched and 61 articles were shortlisted. In terms of frequency of reasons cited as causes for disputes, payment regimes and delays rank first, followed by written agreement interpretation and changes in projects. Acceptable approaches to resolution of disputes include negotiation, arbitration, facilitation, and dispute resolution boards. This study were able to make a clear distinction between methodologies adopted by various researchers for the prevention and resolution of conflicts and show that in addition to prevention of conflicts, there are comprehensive and suitable techniques to resolve conflicts, which can be adopted in practice.
</abstract>

Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Fakultet for ingeniorvitenskap

A structured literature review on construction conflict prevention and resolution: A modified approach for engineering

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> Sustainable development has become a goal for all countries seeking a balance between social, environmen­tal and economic needs. The principal vision of a sustain­able built future is about developing creative designs that utilize energy and materials effectively. However, this vision should consider historic buildings that were built centuries ago. Although many of these buildings are standing in a stable state, they are obsolete and their values are not fully utilized. Towards revitalizing and generating sustainable values of these buildings, adaptive reuse is adopted as a process of modifying, adapting and reusing obsolete build­ings with their existing structures to extend their life cycle whilst performing a new function. This is currently practiced worldwide, specifically when a building has a unique archi­tectural character and is in a stable condition. The adaptive reuse of a historic building should have minimal impact on the heritage significance of the building and its setting. This paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of adaptive reuse as an innovative approach for generating sustainable values of historic buildings in developing countries. To achieve this aim, a research strategy is designed to accomplish four objectives: first, literature related to sustainable develop­ment, sustainable values, adaptive reuse and developing countries is reviewed; second, two case studies are pre­sented and analysed to investigate the role of adaptive reuse towards increasing the sustainable value of heritage build­ings; third, a strategy with its action plan is developed for facilitating adaptive reuse of historic buildings in develop­ing countries and finally, research conclusions are outlined and recommendations useful to professionals concerned with adaptive reuse of historic buildings are proposed.</abstract>

Suez Desert Road, Postal No. 11837, P.O. Box 43,

Adaptive reuse: an innovative approach for generating sustainable values for historic buildings in developing countries

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) business in Europa is increasingly under pressure. Lack of productivity, low or negative profit margins for investors, and the lack of adopting necessary innovations and digitalization—from engineering activities through operations and maintenance to decommissioning—have caused significant deprivation of business and competitiveness compared to emerging providers in Asia. The quest for reducing capital expenditures (CAPEX) in EPC projects is intensifying. In May 2018, a research project was started to analyze the situation and key trends through desk research, to research how the challenges of the business could be tackled and to derive practical guidance for EPC contractors as well as for investors, owners, and operators (O/O). The project aimed to propose innovative ways of improving the EPC business model to reach the next level (“EPC 4.0”). In doing so, lessons learned from the automotive and aviation industry were considered. A key objective of the research project was to challenge statements of international EPC experts to cut CAPEX by 40–50% in EPC projects. With this statement in mind, the research focused on identifying measures with potential in six areas: (1) digitalization, (2) partnering, (3) flat supply chains, (4) flexible organizations, (5) core competences, and (6) the human factor. Summarizing the findings in these areas, the EPC 4.0 project came to a savings potential of up to 50% of the total budgeted project costs.</abstract>

EPC 4.0: The quest for reducing CAPEX in EPC projects

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
Project management is primarily practitioner-oriented and loaded with many critical success factors (CSFs), and although these are well-evidenced in theory, they do not deliver as efficiently as factors of interest to project professionals during execution. The present study explores the perceptions of senior project managers (PMs) about project success, CSFs and complexity in large construction projects. Data from project practitioners were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using content analysis. The participants were selected with convenience sampling method given the complex understanding of the domain and included highly experienced PMs from the global community with expertise in project management. PMs perceive a small number of CSFs in contrast to the large exhaustive CSFs listed in the questionnaire surveys. Though important, traditional constraints of the Iron Triangle are considered inadequate in defining project success. Project professionals are seen as relying more on other performance indicators for defining a project as a success. They perceive complex construction projects in terms of a large number of interfaces, complex working systems and uncertainty. The findings of this paper suggest that project practitioners perceive differently about the CSFs and project success.
</abstract>

Project success and critical success factors of construction projects: project practitioners’ perspectives

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Construction industry is one of the most hazardous industries to work in. This problem is further exacerbated by the fact that safety performance improvement is stagnating. Information technologies (ITs) are however identified as one of the most promising methods of improving the performance of construction safety. The goal of this paper was therefore to present previous research in the application of innovative ITs to the field of construction health and safety (H&amp;S), classified by their underlying technology and application, to identify research gaps, as well as to evaluate and describe the potential of their implementation into construction safety practice. To achieve the set goals, the research consisted of identifying and studying the existing research published in the leading journals in the field of construction H&amp;S. The review identified 72 papers dealing with development or application of innovative ITs. The research had also identified several research gaps, which have a significant impact on the construction safety practice. These gaps focus on the construction phase, while neglecting earlier project phases; industry and project levels, while neglecting construction activity and task levels; building projects, while neglecting infrastructure projects and specific hazard types, while neglecting a universal approach. Focussing research effort on these gaps would benefit all construction safety stakeholders but mostly the prominent contractors and H&amp;S professionals. Furthermore, recommendations for directing research focus on solving the identified issues are given in this paper.</abstract>

Review of previous applications of innovative information technologies in construction health and safety

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>A construction project is like a living entity and requires the interconnection and coordination of several stakeholders and many of them have their objectives, which sometimes create a conflict of interest between the teams and within the teams. The success of any project is repeatable, and a set of attributes for the success of a construction project can be identified, requiring discipline and hard work. The construction sector is the engine of growth for a nation and supplies services and goods to other industries. The objective of the study is to analyse the enabling factors affecting the performance construction projects in Architecture Engineering and Construction industry. The methodology chosen for the study is to collect primary data from the Indian construction industry using structured questionnaire surveys. The collected data are analysed using reliability and factor analyses. The findings of the study provide the value of reliability, that is, Cronbach's alpha value of (0.86) of the data collected using a questionnaire survey. Furthermore, exploratory factor analysis produced five main significant factors based on covariance between the attributes and grouped into factors such as site management and coordination, leadership and financial management, planning, commitment, and coordination having a variance of 17.65, 11.8, 9.1, 8.5, and 7.5%, respectively. This article is the extended version of the paper accepted and presented at CCC2019.</abstract>

Study of factors affecting the performance of construction projects in AEC industry

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
The occurrence of a large number of road fatalities necessitates making improvements in road safety conditions. Governments and experts of European countries have been involved in this activity by investing efforts to increase security as well as achieve the goals of the European Commission (EC) to reduce fatalities by 50% by 2030.They aim to achieve road traffic without any fatalities occurring by 2050. Including a series of innovations for safety in the auto industry, deploying ITS technology, enforcing stringent legal regulations, emphasising on higher education of all traffic participants and undertaking other such important actions help achieve the set goals. Furthermore, adequate road maintenance with the use of modern models will definitely contribute to improving road safety. Moreover, it is necessary to regularly monitor road safety indicators and react accordingly on time. This paper presents a current state safety analysis from the perspective of road fatalities and road maintenance investments (RMIs) in the European Union (EU) and in European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. The main objectives of this paper are to analyse road safety aspects and emphasise on the relation existing between road fatalities and RMI. Concurrently, the objective of this paper is to verify the possible influence of the performance-based maintenance (PBM) model on improving road safety in the European Union. As part of the research, 27 EU member states and 3 EFTA members were analysed in the period 2010–2021. The results indicate a connection between road fatalities and RMI. Thus, this particular one is almost linear at the average EU level and that PBM models can directly contribute to improving traffic safety and indirectly by savings in maintenance costs.
</abstract>

Analysis of the road safety in the EU countries and the impact of PBM on its improvement

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
The unstable economic conditions that have been in place in the Slovenian and international construction markets reveal the problem of a disproportionate increase in the prices of construction materials and energy products. Such increases will therefore result in higher costs of construction services, which would ultimately affect the total value of the construction project. These events in turn bring uncertainty to the construction project and would negatively impact the business of construction companies and investors. Legal and construction practices have so far developed various ways to regulate contract changes arising due to unforeseen market conditions. The present paper offers a contribution to the contract price change solution during the construction phase. The introduction first presents the measures and guidelines that deal with the differences in contract prices in Slovenia and some other countries. Then, various methods of calculating price differences that have emerged in current Slovenian practice are described. As a result, a proposal for a hybrid method of monthly price difference calculation is presented. The hybrid method represents a balanced solution resulting from the unforeseen increase in construction material prices on the market and is applicable to all construction projects. The three methods, i.e., a calculation method, a method based on the GZS-ZGIGM index, and a hybrid method, are applied to a real example of a public contract. The calculation of the price valorisation, represented as an index of the recognised price increases of contract works, is carried out. The results are compared, and further solutions are proposed.
</abstract>

Contract price change during the construction phase: unforeseen market conditions

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
The construction and development sector is considered as the backbone of any growing economy. Globally, the construction industry (CI) has experienced significant growth alongside increasingly complex projects that involve multi-disciplinary stakeholders such as clients, consultants and contractors, known as the 3Cs. Despite modern efforts towards digitalisation and the introduction of technology, this industry was among the most impacted by COVID-19 in many countries. The 3Cs have faced impediments in practicing their respective roles. This research utilises a mixed methodology approach by utilising an extensive literature review combined with statistical analysis to study the impacts on working practices of the 3Cs of the CI in Pakistan. The six major impact factors were related to planning and overhead cost, manufacturing and shipping, permit issuance, liquidated damages, cash flows, material availability and delivery. Among the six factors, delays in permit issuance and materials availability were the two global factors investigated in the study. The significance of the impact factors was further justified by comparative analysis with existing literature. The study further revealed that contractors were the most affected party within the 3Cs of the CI in Pakistan. The findings of this study are significant to tackle such a pandemic in the future, by suggesting effective emerging practices which may also be made and enforced as regulations by the government.
</abstract>

An impact overview of COVID-19 on the construction industry in Pakistan

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
The construction industry is a human-intensive industry despite the massive development in technologies. Nowadays, after crossing COVID-19 pandemic, the construction industry is an important sector for saving the national economy. The COVID-19 pandemic has created new ways of thinking due to massive and unpredictable socioeconomic consequences. Thus, understanding the critical productivity factors after the COVID-19 pandemic will enhance the construction industry by improving the understanding of the professionals who are involved at an early stage of the project lifecycle. This study aims to determine the critical productivity factors after the COVID-19 pandemic for enhancing the construction industry in developing countries such as Jordan. A review of available literature similar to the related topics before the COVID-19 pandemic was explored, and then a questionnaire was distributed across the Jordanian construction industry to determine the main productivity factors post-COVID-19 pandemic. A focus group was used to determine the interrelationship among the factors with the Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) approach. The obtained results indicated that 22 main productivity factors affected the Jordanian construction industry. The hierarchy of these factors is categorised into six levels of ISM whereas the sixth level has the greatest factors that influence productivity in the construction industry. Thus, enhancing productivity in construction projects requires solving problems related to factors in level 1, which will help to solve problems at the next level and so on.
</abstract>

ISM model for assessing critical productivity factors in the Jordanian construction industry post-COVID-19 pandemic

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
The construction industry is one of the fastest growing and most profitable in the world. The industry is vital, especially in Qatar where infrastructure is growing. In the construction industry in Qatar, design–bid–build (DBB) is the most common project delivery technique; nonetheless, it has several drawbacks. Through a thorough assessment of the literature, this study attempts to investigate the DBB project delivery technique in the construction sector. A total of 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. The findings demonstrated that in comparison to DB, CM, CMAR and PPP project delivery methods, the DBB project delivery technique has some advantages and disadvantages. Project delivery techniques are crucial to the construction sector, which is essential to the growth of the national economy. The present study examines the design–bid–build (DBB) methodology, which is a traditional paradigm that presents ongoing difficulties in terms of contractor selection and project delivery effectiveness. A thorough examination of the existing studies was carried out using PRISMA guidelines. The study found that there was a substantial knowledge gap, as previous studies have mostly highlighted problems without providing a systematic foundation for remedies. The correct framework should be chosen based on factors including cost, time and location. In Qatar, low-bid projects that have well-defined objectives and well-defined contractor pre-qualification might benefit greatly from the application of the DBB project delivery approach. A few of shortcomings of the research are the researcher’s prejudice, the incompleteness of the material gathered and the analysis of the findings. To replicate better findings, a comparable study can be undertaken in similar geographic places in the future. Robust pre-qualification procedures for contractors, improved designer–contractor communication, incorporation of cutting-edge project management systems and efficient risk management techniques were among the useful suggestions that surfaced. The study emphasises how crucial it is to maximise the DBB approach in the building sector. Subsequent research should corroborate these suggestions, investigate the incorporation of technology, evaluate the extended-term efficacy of undertakings and promote interdisciplinary cooperation. Through this activity, the construction industry may contribute to the sustainable growth and development of the industry by improving project results and the overall efficiency of the DBB model.
</abstract>

Enhancing design–bid–build project delivery: A comprehensive review and framework for contractor selection and project optimisation in the construction industry

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
One of the most important aspects directly affecting a building’s performance is the design quality of the natural day-lighting. The present research evaluates the effectiveness of daylight in school buildings in the city of Baghdad. It aims to ascertain how the characteristics of building windows affect the quality of day-lighting, the objective of this exercise being to improve educational processes in schools by making improvements in relation to the aspect of provision of satisfactory day-lighting levels. A building simulation approach was adopted, and using Autodesk Revit 2018 (Insight plug-in), a daylight analysis was conducted under the aegis of the Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology. For the case study, we selected the modern design of a 24-classrooms school building, which is part of a plan for the construction of 1,000 Iraqi schools. Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED v4) simulation was conducted on the school building design to provide the results, which were measured and analysed according to LEED v4 standards. The results demonstrated that opening dimensions and direction have an essential impact on natural day-lighting. The research concluded that using BIM simulation tools enhances the design quality of the natural lighting in such a way that compliance with LEED v4 requirements is achieved. The present study will assist in identification and assessment of the problems concerned with natural lighting levels in Iraqi school buildings as well as resolving these at an early design stage.
</abstract>

Using building information modelling to optimise design quality of natural lighting in Iraqi school buildings

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), a kingdom-of-the-art technology for superimposing information onto the real world, have recently started to have an effect on our everyday lives. In addition, AR and VR have shown a great contribution to advanced construction management in recent years. However, a comprehensive critical review of AR and VR technologies in construction management is absent in the literature. This study provides a comprehensive review of a summary of using potential opportunities of AR and VR to solve a variety of construction management issues effectively and efficiently. This study found that AR is successfully used in construction project scheduling, progress tracking, worker training, safety management, time and cost management, and quality and defects management. VR is effectively used as a visualization tool, worker training technology, safety management tool, and quality and defects management tool. In addition, AR and VR are used for developing a network that allows the possibility of having conferences with those who are geographically far off from each other or the construction site. This study could help to explore the potential fields of using AR and VR technologies in the construction industry effectively as advance time- and cost-saving profitable tools.</abstract>

A Review on Using Opportunities of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in Construction Project Management

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
The objective of this study is to analyse the impact of management practices on the productivity of building construction projects in India. The methodology adopted for this study is to identify and analyse the management practice attributes from the literature review and expert focus group interviews. The identified attributes were analysed and priorities using relative weight were given by the respondents. The collected data were further analysed using SPSS 21 software. The quantitative research methodology was adopted to analyse the collected data and the following tools and techniques were applied to the data: reliability analysis to check the consistency of data collected for this study and relative importance index (RII) to prioritise and rank the attributes based on the weighted average score given by the respondents. The findings of this study concluded that coordination between all stakeholders, ability to handle the crisis by the project managers, social skills of key team managers, timely payment of completed works and design capability and frequent design changes are the most significant attributes of management practice, affecting construction productivity and having a rating on the RII of 0.91, 0.90, 0.88, 0.87 and 0.87.
</abstract>

Impact of management practices on construction productivity in Indian building construction projects: an empirical study<xref ref-type="fn" rid="j_otmcj-2021-0007_fn_001">1</xref>

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Organization, Technology and Management in Construction: an International Journal

Co-published with University of Zagreb, Faculty of Civil Engineering

 OTMC is an international journal that promotes and facilitates the development of organization, technology and management in construction, within the regions of Central and...

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 OTMC is an international journal that promotes and facilitates the development of organization, technology and management in construction,...

Organization, Technology and Management in Construction: an International Journal

Co-published with University of Zagreb, Faculty of Civil Engineering

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