Special Issue "Construction Management – Future Innovations, Methods, Techniques and Technologies"

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction Management, and Computers & Digitization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Agnieszka Leśniak
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Cracow University of Technology, Poland
Interests: supporting decisions in construction; delays in construction projects; risk assessment in construction; project cost estimation; tendering and bidding in construction; using artificial neural networks in construction management; building procurement
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals
Dr. Krzysztof Zima
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Cracow University of Technology, Kraków, Poland
Interests: construction cost estimation; building information modelling technology; design and build and integrated project delivery; activity of developer companies; evaluation of investment efficiency; sustainable construction and using case-based reasoning and fuzzy logic in construction management
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The management of construction projects can be a very complicated process, especially when there are too many construction companies and various parties involved. The progress of information technology, as well as decision support methods, in the fields of cost planning and time and risk management systematically pushes the limits of possibilities in the construction industry and the range of impact on the entire construction industry.

The implementation of the latest solutions is necessary for construction companies to achieve success in the industry and remain competitive in the global market. As advanced technologies developed, the integration of technologies has been adopted for promoting new technologies and methods in construction in recent years, such as building information modeling (BIM), simulation-based methods, or mathematical methods supporting decision-making.

It is necessary to use new trends and ideas in many areas of construction project management, such as costing, scheduling, safety at the construction site, and human resource management in various types of construction projects in all phases.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a platform to explore the state-of-the-art knowledge, practical implementation, and cutting-edge innovations in the area of construction management in construction industry.

Survey and theoretical articles, as well as application papers, are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Agnieszka Leśniak
Dr. Prof. Krzysztof Zima
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • BIM technology
  • construction procurement
  • cost management
  • demolition and disposal
  • health and safety
  • information technologies
  • project scheduling problems
  • risk management
  • simulation-based methods
  • supporting decision-making

Published Papers (16 papers)

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Article
A Social Network-Based Examination on Bid Riggers’ Relationships in the Construction Industry: A Case Study of China
Buildings 2021, 11(8), 363; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11080363 - 18 Aug 2021
Viewed by 274
Abstract
Collusive bidding has been an insidious issue in the construction industry. Bidders initiate collusive networks of various sizes to win market shares. The popularity of collusive bidding networks affects market fairness and erodes the interests of market players. Although considerable research efforts were [...] Read more.
Collusive bidding has been an insidious issue in the construction industry. Bidders initiate collusive networks of various sizes to win market shares. The popularity of collusive bidding networks affects market fairness and erodes the interests of market players. Although considerable research efforts were made to diagnose collusive bidding networks, there remains a gap in knowledge regarding the relationships bid riggers use to engage in the networks. Therefore, this study used the social network method, where two hundred sixteen collusion cases were collected from China to test these relationships. The results show that collusive bidding networks were characterized by sparseness, a small scale, a high concentration, and strong randomness. Three types of collusive bidding networks were also detected: contractual, spontaneous, and shadow. Furthermore, these collusive bidding networks had discrepancies regarding participants’ identities, forms of collusive bids, and the determination of bid winners. It was found that the proposed social network model of deliberating bid riggers’ relationships lays a solid foundation for the detection of collusive bidding in the construction sector. Full article
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Article
A Method to Qualify the Impacts of Certifications for Prefabricated Constructions
Buildings 2021, 11(8), 331; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11080331 - 30 Jul 2021
Viewed by 452
Abstract
In the province of Quebec, Canada, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in manufactured timber construction seeking to expand their market must necessarily go beyond the local trade. By exporting their products and manufactured building sections to another country, Quebec manufacturers must deal with [...] Read more.
In the province of Quebec, Canada, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in manufactured timber construction seeking to expand their market must necessarily go beyond the local trade. By exporting their products and manufactured building sections to another country, Quebec manufacturers must deal with significant regulations and certification constraints. The aim of this study is therefore to propose a method to qualify the impacts of these constraints on the export of manufactured buildings to New England in order to create a decision support tool. Since construction regulations vary depending on the location of the project, those relating to Massachusetts were analyzed, as this is currently the main destination for manufactured building sections. Considering the federal and local regulations in effect, a content analysis of the Quality Assurance Manual (QAM) set up by an industry partner and a third-party certifier enabling exports to Massachusetts was performed. In particular, the six-step method proposed by L’Écuyer was exploited for extracting and examining relevant information from regulatory texts. Through this analysis, the importance of quality control was confirmed as a keystone for certification. It also led to a better understanding of the relationships between quality control, the construction process and installation, the design and engineering choices, and the strategy to choose the project. Full article
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Article
The Relationship between Building Agents in the Context of Integrated Project Management: A Prospective Analysis
Buildings 2021, 11(5), 184; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11050184 - 26 Apr 2021
Viewed by 582
Abstract
The increasing complexity of building projects, with high quality standards, integrated technologies and strong management restrictions, demands the intervention of numerous and diverse specialists. This requires an intense leadership, organization and coordination effort. However, building regulations, such as the Spanish Law on Building [...] Read more.
The increasing complexity of building projects, with high quality standards, integrated technologies and strong management restrictions, demands the intervention of numerous and diverse specialists. This requires an intense leadership, organization and coordination effort. However, building regulations, such as the Spanish Law on Building Management (LOE) 38/1999, only formally consider developers, project designers, project and work supervisors, quality control entities, construction companies, owners and final users as building agents. However, these categories are insufficient to represent the interests of all the stakeholders. The purpose of this paper is to carry out an analysis of the agents that are currently part of the entire building process. If their relationship of influence and dependence, as well as their alignment with the overall objectives of the project are studied, potential convergences, divergences, agreements and disagreements can be established. To do this, the authors conducted a prospective analysis through the MACTOR (Matrix of Alliances and Conflicts: Tactics, Objectives and Recommendations) strategic planning simulation tool, for which the rules of the Delphi technique were applied and a consultation with technical experts, both professionals and academics, was held. The research provides insight to assess the power relationships between the building agents, as well as to measure the alignment of objectives with their interests. Results show that, in the context of integrated project management (IPM), the influence of technical agents is reduced by limiting their functions to those marked by their regulatory framework, allowing them to focus on their legal powers, and the room for manoeuvre of the professional agents, who are subject to systematized monitoring and control, is also reduced. The prospective analysis also highlights the importance of defining the scope from its early stages, as well as the need to reach multilateral agreements based on the other two main constraints: time and cost. Full article
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Article
Development of Side Mold Control Equipment for Producing Free-Form Concrete Panels
Buildings 2021, 11(4), 175; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11040175 - 18 Apr 2021
Viewed by 617
Abstract
Free-form concrete panel production requires an increasing amount of manpower because the molds cannot be reused. There are many limitations when it comes to reproducing accurate forms due to the many manual processes. Therefore, the current study developed side mold control equipment that [...] Read more.
Free-form concrete panel production requires an increasing amount of manpower because the molds cannot be reused. There are many limitations when it comes to reproducing accurate forms due to the many manual processes. Therefore, the current study developed side mold control equipment that can automatically fabricate molds for free-form concrete panels. The equipment is capable of molding various shapes and sustainable operation. However, there may be errors as it automatically produces various shapes. Therefore, it is necessary to check the errors between manufactured shapes and designed shapes. The shape created using the side mold control equipment showed less than 0.1° error in side angle and ±3 mm error in side length. Therefore, the equipment manufactured a precise shape. Based on the findings of the study, the side mold control equipment will be used to produce accurate shape of free-form concrete panels automatically. Full article
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Article
A Risk Analysis‐Best Worst Method Based Model for Selection of the Most Appropriate Contract Strategy for Onshore Drilling Projects in the Iranian Petroleum Industry
Buildings 2021, 11(3), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11030097 - 05 Mar 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 675
Abstract
The pre-project planning phase has a significant impact on the achievement of project objectives because during this stage, major decisions including involving contract strategies are made with a high degree of uncertainty. Studies show that the contract type can play a unique role [...] Read more.
The pre-project planning phase has a significant impact on the achievement of project objectives because during this stage, major decisions including involving contract strategies are made with a high degree of uncertainty. Studies show that the contract type can play a unique role in the achievement of project success. On the other hand, drilling projects can be considered as one of the most critical types of projects in the petroleum industry. In this research, a novel risk based best-worst method (risk-BWM) is proposed for solving the issue of selecting the best contract strategy. A three level methodology was designed; firstly, the risk breakdown structure (RBS) of drilling projects was created in four levels including one heading in level 0, eight main areas of risk in level 1, 34 sub-areas of risk in level 2, and finally, 217 risk items in level 3. Secondly and on the basis of BWM, the weights of risk factors were determined as the selection criteria and consequently the best and the worst criteria were specified. Finally, using pair-wise comparisons between six types of drilling prevalent in contracts, the most appropriate contract type was proposed. The contribution of this study is the development of a generic RBS for drilling projects and application of the risk factors for the first time for the selection of contract type using the BWM method, which has the potential of being adapted for other types of underground projects. Full article
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Article
Construction Waste Audit in the Framework of Sustainable Waste Management in Construction Projects—Case Study
Buildings 2021, 11(2), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11020061 - 11 Feb 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1007
Abstract
The issue of sustainability has long been the subject of interest in architecture engineering and the construction sector. All three aspects of sustainability—economic, environmental, and social—can be affected through appropriate construction waste management. Construction and demolition waste (CDW) is one of the largest [...] Read more.
The issue of sustainability has long been the subject of interest in architecture engineering and the construction sector. All three aspects of sustainability—economic, environmental, and social—can be affected through appropriate construction waste management. Construction and demolition waste (CDW) is one of the largest worldwide waste streams, therefore, it is given great attention by all stakeholders (investors, contractors, authorities, etc.). Research studies show that one of the main barriers to insufficient CDW recovery is inadequate policies and legal frameworks to manage CDW. It is also one of European Union’s (EU) environmental priorities. The aim of the article was to confirm the economic potential of construction and demolition waste audit processing through a case study. A pre-demolition waste audit was processed for an unused shopping center building in the town Snina in Slovakia. Subsequently, a comparison of economic parameters (waste disposal costs and transport costs) of the recommended CDW management was performed. This comparison confirmed the economic benefits of environmentally friendly construction waste management methods according to the waste audit results, which would also increase the sustainability of construction projects. Additionally, the cost parameters of selected waste disposal methods could be another dimension of building information modeling. Full article
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Article
Bidding Strategy in Construction Public Procurement: A Contractor’s Perspective
Buildings 2021, 11(2), 47; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11020047 - 30 Jan 2021
Viewed by 1108
Abstract
A contractor’s ability to prepare a competitive bid for a construction tender is crucial for its survival on the market. The bid price estimation strategy should promote the probability of winning a sufficient amount of tenders but, at the same time, ensure the [...] Read more.
A contractor’s ability to prepare a competitive bid for a construction tender is crucial for its survival on the market. The bid price estimation strategy should promote the probability of winning a sufficient amount of tenders but, at the same time, ensure the economic stability and development of the company. This paper aims to address this issue in the area of Czech public construction procurement. The opinions, experiences and practices of contractors were collected through a questionnaire survey, and the data were evaluated with the support of statistical methods. This revealed that Czech contractors mostly base their multicriteria bidding strategy on cost-oriented pricing while considering various aspects such as the risks and attractiveness of the tender. The Czech construction market is generally perceived as oriented toward low costs, and with a relatively common occurrence of abnormally low bids. The findings presented in this paper may help contractors improve their current bidding strategies in public construction procurement. Full article
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Article
An Integrated Organizational System for Project Source Selection in the Major Iranian Construction Companies
Buildings 2020, 10(12), 251; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings10120251 - 21 Dec 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 799
Abstract
Studies show that procurement management and its processes strongly affect project success in the construction industry, because the project-oriented organizations in the construction industry prefer to buy goods and services from outside the project team and benefit from outsourcing. Hence, these organizations are [...] Read more.
Studies show that procurement management and its processes strongly affect project success in the construction industry, because the project-oriented organizations in the construction industry prefer to buy goods and services from outside the project team and benefit from outsourcing. Hence, these organizations are continually facing different levels of procurement processes, and the establishment of a robust outsourcing system is crucial for success of their projects and development of their businesses. On the other hand, the housing projects are considered a significant sector of the construction industry in terms of the number of projects and the impact on the national economy. Traditionally, the key sources in conventional housing projects are the general contractors, the consultants and the suppliers. In this study, essential elements of an organizational system have been investigated by expert opinions and through the Delphi method, and all effective aspects of the source selection problem have been identified and integrated. Based on the research findings, procurement of housing construction projects should be organized in three organizational levels: development of the long list, preparation of the short list and selection of the most appropriate source by focusing on four main elements of the source identification method, criteria definition, evaluation arrangement and assessment model. Full article
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Article
Development of Simulation Model for Proper Sales Price of Apartment House in Seoul
Buildings 2020, 10(12), 244; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings10120244 - 16 Dec 2020
Viewed by 628
Abstract
The number of new homes built in China in 2014 doubled compared to 2004, while Korea has built more than 3000 units every year since 2004 and Japan has built more than 6000 new units. Apartments account for 60% of homes in Korea, [...] Read more.
The number of new homes built in China in 2014 doubled compared to 2004, while Korea has built more than 3000 units every year since 2004 and Japan has built more than 6000 new units. Apartments account for 60% of homes in Korea, so it is anticipated that apartment construction projects will not cease in Korea. The current company assumes that the sale rate (pre-sale rate) of apartments may be completely controlled by the pre-sale prices. The study calculated appropriate pre-sale prices to maximize the revenue of companies based on that assumption. For that purpose, the study identified the factors affecting the pre-sale prices and analyzed its correlation with the pre-sale prices based on the apartments located in Seoul, Korea. As a result of the analysis, it was found that the pre-sale prices of apartments are correlated with the number of apartment complexes, local rates, and local development level. The final result of the study suggested a way to calculate the sale prices using the factors that are thought to be correlated with the pre-sale prices. A simulation model was created using the method. When tested, it yielded an average deviation rate of 10.32%. The current study will contribute to preventing the economic losses that may be caused by apartment construction projects. Full article
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Article
A Construct Validation Approach for Exploring Sustainability Adoption in Pakistani Construction Projects
Buildings 2020, 10(11), 207; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings10110207 - 18 Nov 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 564
Abstract
Sustainable Project Management (SPM) is a novel theme in construction industries of developing countries and very little is known (so far) about the sustainability performance of construction projects in those settings. Accordingly, the quantitative measurement of SPM as a higher-order construct is not [...] Read more.
Sustainable Project Management (SPM) is a novel theme in construction industries of developing countries and very little is known (so far) about the sustainability performance of construction projects in those settings. Accordingly, the quantitative measurement of SPM as a higher-order construct is not well established and lacks a holistic approach and homogenous taxonomy of indicators. This study explores the SPM practices of construction firms by validating SPM as a second-order construct in the Pakistani construction industry. Data were obtained from 146 construction firms, which were then analyzed using partial least square structure equation modeling. Results of the first and second level measurement model assessments showed that construction firms practice SPM, with varying degrees of attention paid to three sustainability aspects. Environmental dimension surfaced as the most important, in-terms of practice and social sustainability as least. The analysis of the second-order measurement model yielded significant results, thus, validating the higher-order structure of SPM. This study contributes to the field by presenting one of the first studies of its kind by focusing on the sustainability practices of construction firms by using a higher-order design of SPM construct within the context of developing countries. Full article
Article
Technical and Economic Analysis of the Implementation of Selected Variants of Road Investment
Buildings 2020, 10(6), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings10060097 - 26 May 2020
Viewed by 1535
Abstract
The aim of the article is to analyze three variants of modernization and reconstruction of a road intersection, which in practice is the cause of numerous collisions and accidents. Detailed design solutions are presented for them. The aim of the analyses is to [...] Read more.
The aim of the article is to analyze three variants of modernization and reconstruction of a road intersection, which in practice is the cause of numerous collisions and accidents. Detailed design solutions are presented for them. The aim of the analyses is to indicate an effective solution that, taking into account technical modifications of the road system elements, will ensure the functionality of the road system to the highest degree and significantly reduce the number of road incidents. To indicate the optimal solution, quantitative data (cost and duration of activities for three options) and qualitative data (determined based on the own experience and knowledge of road industry experts) is analyzed. The authors refer to many criteria of various natures (e.g., economic, technical, functional, environmental, social), which allow for comprehensive consideration of the current requirements of road users and changing circumstances, among others a steady increase in the number of vehicles and growing social expectations in terms of road parameters. Considering the presented analyses and arguments, the authors recommend option 1 as optimal. This is the most expensive solution among those analyzed and with the longest implementation time, however, taking into account the long-term prognosis of the direction and scope of changes to the existing standards and requirements for road infrastructure, it can be stated that option 1 meets them to the highest degree, and also has the greatest potential. The envisaged solution ensures high standards of the quality of road infrastructure use in terms of functionality, capacity, technical parameters, as well as the safety of traffic participants related to the smoothness of the journey, reduction of the number of collisions and accidents. Full article
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Article
Simulation-Based Management of Construction Companies under the Circular Economy Concept—Case Study
Buildings 2020, 10(5), 94; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings10050094 - 16 May 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2226
Abstract
Society and the business world are paying more and more attention to the Circular Economy (CE) principles. The construction industry is no stranger to this issue, and the companies are transitioning towards sustainable production models. However, it is not easy to predict when [...] Read more.
Society and the business world are paying more and more attention to the Circular Economy (CE) principles. The construction industry is no stranger to this issue, and the companies are transitioning towards sustainable production models. However, it is not easy to predict when and to what extent a company implements the CE. To measure this process, a scorecard, that includes the main Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of the construction industry, related to the CE, was designed. Thus, the objective of this article is to design and test the CE-dashboard applicable to the construction industry. To do it, firstly, a literature review is performed. The next step is the selection of the KPIs collected in the literature, more suitable for reporting information about CE. Afterwards, a simulation based on the Monte Carlo technique performs. After multiple iterations, this method establishes the most probable KPI values as a result, which will be confronted with the limits used in the scorecard. With all this information, the dashboard emerges in Qlik software. Finally, a test of this dashboard takes place according to the information about KPIs from one of the leading Spanish companies (General Contractor (GC) building company). This step brings the validity of the created measurement instrument. Full article
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Article
Methods for the Calculation of the Lost Profit in Construction Contracts
Buildings 2020, 10(4), 74; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings10040074 - 13 Apr 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2207
Abstract
The aim of each investor is to procure the construction work in an efficient and economical way. This goal can be achieved by managing costs from the beginning of the investment process. It is necessary to determine the estimated price of the construction [...] Read more.
The aim of each investor is to procure the construction work in an efficient and economical way. This goal can be achieved by managing costs from the beginning of the investment process. It is necessary to determine the estimated price of the construction work in all phases of the investment process and not to underestimate the importance of this activity. It is almost a rule that the contractor or investor does not allow sufficient time for the contractor to prepare the construction for good quality, which may lead to insufficient preparation. The consequences of poor construction preparation vary from poorly built construction to litigation over the lost profits of the contractor—and this is the topic we discuss in this paper. The issue of asserting lost profits on the contract by the contractor is the subject of legal disputes between the contractor and the customer of construction work. In such cases, the question becomes the design of a methodology suitable for its calculation. The article deals with the presentation of the existing methods of loss of profit calculation, two of which are applied to the example of litigation from construction practice, with the definition of their results and differences. Full article
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Article
STATUS App: A Mobile Data Collection Tool for Buildings Adjacent to Tunneling Works
Buildings 2020, 10(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings10010007 - 31 Dec 2019
Viewed by 2258
Abstract
In urban areas, tunneling works inevitably interfere with the adjacent buildings. In the preliminary design stage, designers usually do not inspect buildings adjacent to the construction sites, because these activities are often too expensive. This paper presents the STATUS app, an Android application [...] Read more.
In urban areas, tunneling works inevitably interfere with the adjacent buildings. In the preliminary design stage, designers usually do not inspect buildings adjacent to the construction sites, because these activities are often too expensive. This paper presents the STATUS app, an Android application for mobile data collection. It was developed and tested by Geofunction Srls before the beginning of the tunneling works for the railway doubling in Cefalù (Italy). The system assists technicians during visual inspections and records the pre-existing architectural and/or structural damages in buildings adjacent to construction sites in real time. The output of the data collection is an official report printed and countersigned in situ by the technicians and the owners of the inspected property. The application was used for 1189 inspections inside 96 buildings. The aim of the paper is to show the benefits achieved through the use of STATUS app. It is also useful for several purposes: external risk assessment, damage prevention, damage reporting, preventing future legal disputes, and the free-rider problems. The application is released under closed-source license. Full article
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Article
Formula for Determining the Construction Workers Productivity Including Environmental Factors
Buildings 2019, 9(12), 240; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings9120240 - 26 Nov 2019
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2147
Abstract
The aim of this study is to build a mathematical model of the productivity of construction workers. It does so by selecting 17 factors that influence the productivity of construction workers and categorising them into five groups. For the mathematical description of the [...] Read more.
The aim of this study is to build a mathematical model of the productivity of construction workers. It does so by selecting 17 factors that influence the productivity of construction workers and categorising them into five groups. For the mathematical description of the factors, fuzzy logic was used. A formula for calculating the work productivity of construction workers is proposed. The novelty of the approach proposed by the authors is rooted in the consideration of various factors that have the potential to influence the productivity of construction workers. To present the way the formula operates, a single assessment of ceiling formwork was undertaken. The verification of a model confirmed its capability of analyzing, evaluating, and predicting the productivity of construction workers with satisfying accuracy. Full article
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Case Report
A Case Study of a Negotiated Tender within a Small-to-Medium Construction Contractor: Modelling Project Cost Variance
Buildings 2021, 11(6), 260; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11060260 - 18 Jun 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 728
Abstract
This research explores the failure of competitively tendered projects in the UK construction industry to procure the most suited contractor(s) to conduct the works. Such work may have equal relevance for other developed nations globally. This research seeks to teach clients and their [...] Read more.
This research explores the failure of competitively tendered projects in the UK construction industry to procure the most suited contractor(s) to conduct the works. Such work may have equal relevance for other developed nations globally. This research seeks to teach clients and their representatives that “lowest price” does not mean “best value”, by presenting a case study of a successfully negotiated tender undertaken by a small-to-medium enterprise (SME) contractor; SME studies are relatively scant in academic literature. By applying the “lessons learnt” principle, this study seeks to improve future practice through the development of a novel alternative procurement option (i.e., negotiation). A mixed philosophical stance combining interpretivism and pragmatism was used—interpretivism to critically review literature in order to form the basis of inductive research to discuss negotiation as a viable procurement route, and pragmatism to analyse perceptions of tendering and procurement. The methods used follow a three-stage waterfall process including: (1) literature review and pilot study; (2) quantitative analysis of case study data; and (3) qualitative data collection via a focus group. Our research underscores the need to advise clients and their representatives of the importance of understanding the scope of works allowed within a tender submission before discounting it based solely on price. In addition, we highlight the failings of competitive tendering, which results in increased costs and project duration once the works commence on site. These findings provide new contemporary insight into procurement and tendering in the construction industry, with emphasis on SME contractors, existing relationships, and open-book negotiation. This research illustrates the adverse effects of early cost estimates produced without first securing a true understanding of project buildability and programming. Our work concludes with a novel insight into an alternative procurement option that involves early SME contractor involvement in an open-book environment, without the need for a third-party cost control. Full article
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