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® System (LPS) metrics for construction planning and control
Published in Lincoln H. Forbes, Syed M. Ahmed, Lean Project Delivery and Integrated Practices in Modern Construction, 2020
Farook R. Hamzeh, Salam Khalife, Ghali El Samad, Lynn Rizk, Hisham Abou-Ibrahim, Malak Al Hattab, Samir Emdanat
Project management encompasses various actions undertaken during the course of construction projects to maximize the chances of success. Among these actions, three major activities constitute the top of the list: the communication behaviors, the control mechanisms, and the planning efforts (Chan et al. 2004). Planning on construction projects is the act of determining what needs to be done, how, when, and by whom, while taking into consideration the necessary resources and their accompanied costs (Laufer and Cohenca 1990). Planning is thus performed by making early decisions, mainly regarding the work tasks, their interactions, the specified time schedule, and the required resources. These decisions eventually become direct assignments or guidelines for site management to base their operational decisions on (Laufer and Tucker 1987). Accordingly, proper planning can reduce the number of inherent project risks that may otherwise have remained unforeseen and not accounted for (Aziz and Hafez 2013). While planning sets the course to achieve project objectives, the control process ensures that the project remains in alignment with its scope and achieves its targets. Project control thus intends to minimize the gap between project planning and project execution. As such, control mechanisms involve monitoring and evaluating the project to enable corrective actions to take place for achieving the intended project objectives (Kerzner 1998; Ballard and Tommelein 2016).
Concrete Bridge Construction
Published in Wai-Fah Chen, Lian Duan, Bridge Engineering, 2003
Simon A. Blank, Michael M. Blank, Luis R. Luberas
The construction industry is a very competitive business and many companies who engage in this marketplace develop proprietary technology in their field. In reality, most practical day-to-day issues are very common to the whole industry. Construction engineering is a combination of art and science and has a tendency to become more the art of applying science (engineering principles) and approaches to the construction operations. Construction engineering includes design, construction operation, and project management. The final product of the design team effort is to produce drawings, specifications, and special provisions for various types of bridges. A fundamental part of construction engineering is construction project management (project design, planning, scheduling, controlling, etc.).
Ethics and the Environment
Published in Rebecca Mirsky, John Schaufelberger, Professional Ethics for the Construction Industry, 2022
Rebecca Mirsky, John Schaufelberger
Issues of environmental justice can arise during a construction project. If not managed properly, construction activities can be major sources of air, water, soil, noise, and even light pollution, negatively impacting the environment and the quality of life for workers on the site, and residents in neighboring communities. Construction project owners and managers must take care that equal attention is given to the environmental needs of the surrounding community regardless of racial or economic features or status. One method of evaluating potential impacts is to employ the precautionary principle.
Predicting buildings life cycle sustainability behaviour using system dynamics
Published in Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 2023
Mostafa El Hawary, Mohamed Marzouk
Broadly, sustainability philosophy refers to protecting the health of ecosystems and minimizing irreversible damages that may exist due to the community’s social and cultural practices. These practices affect their surroundings, environment, and people. Focusing on the construction sector, along with different aspects, influences the environment including, but not limited to, high-energy consumption, waste production, CO2 emissions, and consumption of non-renewable resources (Bakhoum & Brown, 2012). The building and construction sector is considered the sizable part of the physical and economic manmade capital (Kohler & Yang, 2007; USGBC 2008). This huge contribution definitely has a major impact on the surroundings. For example, multiple types of environmental resources consumed at the initial stage including water, minerals, and soils. Furthermore, emission, water quality degradation, generation of solid waste, and air/noise pollution are all considered typical impacts on the environment during the construction stage. Additionally, operation and maintenance activities consume huge amounts of resources and energy. Even at the end of the building’s life, demolition generates wastes in various and significant amounts. Figure 1 illustrates a building typical impact, in which different resources are consumed and diverse waste and contamination released.
Use of Sargassum muticum algae as binder strengthening for raw earth mortar
Published in European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering, 2023
A. Graich, Y. EL Haloui, H. Rchid, R. Nmila, M. Siniti, I. Mrani, M. Monkade, M. Khaidar, A. Zradba
Mortars and concretes are the most employed construction materials in the world. Nearly 10 billion tons of concrete are used each year in the building sector (Glavind, 2009). This significant consumption of concrete depends mainly on cement, which is its essential constituent. (Torgal & Jalali, 2011) estimated the world cement consumption for about 6 billion tons. At the environmental level, the cement industry is responsible for around 7% of global greenhouse gas (CO2) emissions (Badur & Chaudhary, 2008). It is also a very energy-intensive industry, consuming on average between 4 and 5 GJ per ton of cement produced (Taylor et al., 2006). Thus, the cement industry is very polluting. The international negotiations (Collins, 1991), encourage industrialized countries to carry out drastic policies to reduce carbon emissions. Consequently, the first way investigated is the partial replacement of cement in mortars and concretes. Several substituents were considered: fly ash and bottom ash pozzolans (Graich et al., 2020; Mghaiouini, 2020); glass powders (Matos & Sousa-Coutinho, 2012) and wood ashes (Cheah & Ramli, 2011; Chowdhury et al., 2015). Among the alternatives that go in the same direction, we can mainly cite the renewed interest in the use of raw earth in construction.
Development and evaluation of context-based assessment system for visualization-enhanced construction safety education
Published in International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 2020
Akeem Pedro, Hai Chien Pham, Jung Ui Kim, Chansik Park
Next, the SIS domain provides students an opportunity to apply their safety knowledge and hazard identification and response skills through virtual jobsite simulations with first-person gameplay dynamics. In order to evaluate the SIS, a scenario involving temporary works was developed, since accident statistics reveal that many jobsite injuries involve temporary structures such as formwork, false-work, etc. As illustrated in Figure 4, the site scenario portrays two workers carrying a formwork panel away from a cured concrete column. However, there are several hazards in the vicinity. For instance, fall hazards, which are the leading cause of fatalities in construction. In addition, inadequate fall protection is the top cited violation. The developed SIS question requires the learner to inspect the aforementioned scenario and click on various elements to identify the existing risks and hazards.