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This paper aims to present a highly accessible and affordable tracking model for earthmoving operations in an attempt to overcome some of the limitations of current tracking models.

The proposed methodology involves four main processes: acquiring onsite terrestrial images, processing the images into 3D scaled cloud data, extracting volumetric measurements and crew productivity estimations from multiple point clouds using Delaunay triangulation and conducting earned value/schedule analysis and forecasting the remaining scope of work based on the estimated performance. For validation, the tracking model was compared with an observation-based tracking approach for a backfilling site. It was also used for tracking a coarse base aggregate inventory for a road construction project.

The presented model has proved to be a practical and accurate tracking approach that algorithmically estimates and forecasts all performance parameters from the captured data.

The proposed model is unique in extracting accurate volumetric measurements directly from multiple point clouds in a developed code using Delaunay triangulation instead of extracting them from textured models in modelling software which is neither automated nor time-effective. Furthermore, the presented model uses a self-calibration approach aiming to eliminate the pre-calibration procedure required before image capturing for each camera intended to be used. Thus, any worker onsite can directly capture the required images with an easily accessible camera (e.g. handheld camera or a smartphone) and can be sent to any processing device via e-mail, cloud-based storage or any communication application (e.g. WhatsApp).

This paper aims to propose a novel model that addresses the limitations of current practices, through considering quantitative and qualitative criteria in the decision-making process for equipment replacement.

Literature review and consultation with professionals in the heavy construction industry was conducted to identify the criteria influencing the replacement of construction machines. A questionnaire survey using analytic hierarchy process and multi-attribute utility theory was used to rank these criteria and establish their utility scores. Sensitivity analysis was performed to assess how adjustments in the weights of main criteria would impact equipment replacement decisions.

The identified criteria were classified into three categories: economic, technical and socioenvironmental, encompassing a total of 15 criteria. The findings indicated that salvage value/meeting payback period/maximizing profitability held the highest importance in the replacement process, followed by considerations like high repair and maintenance cost; working condition and economic conditions. Safety and social benefits scored the least among all criteria and categories.

This study focuses on earth-moving equipment and involves experts from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The model introduces a novel methodology to aid decision-makers, particularly contractors and project managers, in determining when to replace heavy construction equipment, which results in resource efficiency and time saving.

The model integrates expertise and knowledge from experts to establish criteria for replacing construction equipment. This research aims to improve the functionality of the decision-making process regarding the acquisition or replacement of equipment throughout its lifespan.

Energy consumption has increased significantly since the 1970s, which has increased demand for sufficient infrastructure in the oil and gas industry. Many top-notch oil and gas companies invested in and equipped their facilities with high-capacity electrical equipment to meet high demand and benefit from high revenues. This is becoming a challenge nowadays for old facilities in the oil and gas industry, as most of the electrical equipment installed has reached or even exceeded its lifetime. Moreover, many of the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for electrical equipment from the 1980s are no longer in market today. Therefore, the aim of this study is to develop a proactive, cost-effective obsolescence management framework for electrical equipment in the oil and gas industry, considering the aging factor of the equipment.

Firstly, the study begins with gathering available information and identifying criteria. Secondly, the data collection is evaluated by subject-matter-experts (SMEs) in asset management field to ensure compliance with updated international standards and relevant regulatory requirements. Thirdly, a multi-criteria decision-making process is used to rank criteria. Finally, a scoring system is developed to measure the electrical equipment obsoleteness.

The developed framework will assist decision-makers in making informed decisions about maintenance, replacement or upgrades, using knowledge from previous studies and experts’ input. The result finding indicates that considering aging correction factors when measuring equipment obsoleteness leads to accurately and correctly predicting the electrical equipment obsoleteness score.

Previous studies have addressed obsolescence management without taking equipment age into account, regardless of how the equipment is performing. Thus, the lack of a comprehensive obsolescence management framework that accounts for both cost-effectiveness and the aging factor in the oil and gas industry poses a critical challenge.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new general approach for estimating the maintenance cost of constructed facilities. The proposed approach consists of four components, including: facility work breakdown structure; historical maintenance cost and cost contingency data of actual completed projects; feedback obtained from the post-occupancy evaluation (POE); and fuzzy set theory (FST) to define the uncertainty associated with the maintenance cost and cost contingency as an alternative approach to simulation.

Literature review of the existing methods used for estimating maintenance cost of constructed facilities was conducted to highlight the limitations of the existing methods and models. The paper then introduced a new approach in which the results obtained from POE are integrated with the estimator’s judgment in estimating maintenance cost of constructed facility. As a proof of concept, the developed approach is tested on a private school facility in the city of Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The application of the proposed approach in this case project demonstrates its applicability and features in comparison with the existing practice.

The application of the developed approach on a school case project demonstrated that the developed approach can provide a reliable facility maintenance cost estimate, narrow the uncertainties and vagueness associated with the estimated cost, and provide the estimator with the necessary information to conduct risk analysis with less effort, less computations and less complexity comparing with that provided by complex simulation. The results also showed that integrating POE in the estimating process can provide more accurate cost estimate with high level of confidence.

The paper presents a new approach for estimating facility maintenance cost. The developed approach introduced a new concept that assists maintenance contractors in preparing facility maintenance estimate with improved accuracy while satisfying the facility user’s needs. The proposed approach integrates the estimator’s judgment with POE to model the uncertainties associated with cost using FST as an alternative approach for complex simulation.

The purpose of this paper is to identify, assess, rank, and compare the most influencing factors in three-, four-, and five-star hotels in the Eastern Province in Saudi Arabia.

A combination of literature and interviewing of ten local experts have resulted in the identification of 46 factors. Through a web-based questionnaire survey, the identified factors were ranked. A total of 23 responses were gathered from the full population of the 47 hotels (14 five-star, 15 four-star and 18 three-star hotels) in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. A reliable overall response rate of 50 percent was achieved.

The most important factors affecting the operating and maintenance cost of five-star hotels are “climatic conditions” followed by “availability of the materials,” “annual energy consumption rate,” and “efficient energy consuming equipment.” Regarding four-star hotels, those factors are “star rating of the hotel” followed by “customer satisfaction,” “occupancy rate,” and “efficient energy consuming equipment.” Finally, the top-ranked factors for three-star hotels are “climatic conditions” followed by “floor area,” “glass and non-glass façade,” and “occupancy rate.”

The most important factors affecting the operating and maintenance cost of five-star hotels are “climatic conditions” followed by “availability of the materials,” “annual energy consumption rate,” and “efficient energy consuming equipment.” Regarding four-star hotels, those factors are “star rating of the hotel” chased by “customer satisfaction,” “occupancy rate,” and “efficient energy consuming equipment.” Finally, the top-ranked factors for three-star hotels are “climatic conditions” followed by “floor area,” “glass and non-glass façade,” and “occupancy rate.” The shared concern point between the respondents of all three groups of hotels is relevant to the energy department, which keeps the facility running.

This paper is original in the sense that the areas of knowledge and practice covered in the identified factors were distributed and not available in one source. The factors are derived from personal interviews with the selected operation and maintenance/engineering managers of all three classes of hotels, and from the relevant literature.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a model that facilitates the evaluation and selection processes of curtain wall systems used in office buildings.

A comprehensive literature review and interviews with local experts were conducted to identify common types of curtain wall systems used in office buildings and their selection criteria. A questionnaire was designed and completed using multi-criteria decision-making techniques through face-to-face meetings with consultants in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The proposed model was implemented in prototype software as a proof of concept.

The results revealed that fire resistance scored the highest weighting of all the criteria. Furthermore, precast concrete cladding panels were found to be the best system for use in office buildings located in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The model validation reveals that the score for any curtain wall system varies depending on the nature of the project and that the prioritisation of criteria can vary from one practitioner to another.

The model captures the knowledge of professionals who are experts in the prioritisation of criteria for selecting curtain wall systems. The research design presented expands the boundaries of knowledge of the relevant literature, through demonstrating a conceptual framework incorporating different techniques into a computerised model. It has practical implications through presenting a systematic procedure for developing and adopting a computerised decision-making tool, which aligns experts’ professional practice and requirements, for use in selecting fragmented options.

This paper aims to develop a framework for the selection of private partners in the housing industry of Saudi Arabia under the scheme of the partnership between the public and private sectors.

By investigating criteria from a comprehensive literature review and experts input through surveys, developing further surveys incorporating decision-making methods: analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and multi-attribute utility theory (MAUT) to construct a framework for selection based on weightages and utilities.

The results identified criteria categorized under four categories: financial (C1), technical (C2), managerial (C3) and safety/environment (C4) and their sub-criteria. The study found that the main criteria were relatively close to each other in importance based on the subjective input of the experts with the technical and safety/environment criteria tying equally with 27% followed by the managerial with 24% and trailed by the financial with 22%.

The study and surveys were conducted for the Saudi market and the experts were within the country.

The study contributes to the Saudi housing initiative which is a part of the 2030 Vision and provides insight to international investors who would be willing to invest in the Saudi market; and to the literature as there is a notable lack of study on public-private partnership in housing in Saudi Arabia.

This paper evaluates the factors influencing the utilization of the Internet of Things (IoT) for sustainable facilities management (SFM) practices in Saudi Arabia.

A mixed approach, combining a literature review, pilot-testing and questionnaire survey, was adopted to evaluate the factors. Twenty-seven factors were identified and grouped into four groups: technical, business and organizational, operational and security and privacy. The questionnaire was distributed to 30 facilities managers and 30 IoT specialists, totaling 60 practitioners, to determine the effect index of each factor. The practitioners' consensus on the ranking of the factors was then determined.

The study identifies the top-ranking factors as: “Difficulty in ensuring data security and protection,” “Difficulty in ensuring data privacy and confidentiality” and “Limited awareness and understanding of IoT benefits and capabilities.” These factors highlight the challenges to successful IoT implementation in the FM sector. The FM sector could benefit from utilizing IoT while maintaining the security, privacy and effectiveness of building operations by successfully addressing these concerns. A high level of consensus on the ranking of the factors was observed between facilities managers and IoT specialists. This was substantiated by a Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient of 0.79.

This study enriches the literature by combining practical insights from facilities managers with technical expertise from IoT specialists on the factors impacting IoT implementation in the Saudi Arabian FM sector. Beyond academic contributions, it provides practical insights for industry professionals, fostering a culture of knowledge-sharing and guiding future research in this field.

This paper explores the relevant fire code requirements and outlines the development of an evaluation tool based on these codes to evaluate fire safety measures in dining properties.

Existing literature was examined to identify the combustible materials, fire causes and factors making these properties prone to fire incidents. An evaluation method, based on code regulations, for ensuring fire safety in dining properties was then developed and tested on a specific dining facility to validate its practicality.

Forty requirements, grouped into seven categories, were identified for ensuring fire safety in dining properties. The case study exposed multiple violations of fire safety, leading to corrective measures for enhancing the fire safety status of the building.

This study introduced a methodical approach for raising awareness, among property managers of dining properties, about fire incidences and their consequences. It presents an evaluation tool for assessing the compliance level with fire codes and standards.

Dining properties are facilities that offer both dine-in and take-out food services. Given the increasing number of fire incidents in dining properties worldwide, there is a substantial demand for a process to audit the adherence to fire safety codes in these properties. This study presents a systematic approach to increase public knowledge of fire events and their effects in dining properties.

This paper aims to review and assess the sustainable design and management considerations affecting workplaces’ productivity in Saudi Arabia.

The study uses a mixed approach, commencing with literature review, development and pilot-testing of a structured questionnaire instrument to assess design and management considerations towards productively sustainable workplaces (PSWs). In total, 31 considerations affecting sustainable workplaces’ productivity were identified and clustered under five main directions. A collective group of stakeholders, including architects/engineers (A/E), workplace users and facilities managers, were approached to correlate and compare their individual assessment of the identified PSWs. The relative importance index (RII) for each of the PSW considerations is correlated and discussed.

A high level of agreement is recognized among the three stakeholder groups for PSWs considerations’ assessed rankings. The provision of sufficient ventilation and illumination levels, availability of occupational health, security and safety, availability of ergonomically oriented technological infrastructure, availability of formal and informal meeting spaces, efficient space utilization and ergonomic workstations are all ranked highest in importance as design considerations towards PSWs.

The study stems from the need to understand how the PSWs’ design and management considerations are perceived by all streams of stakeholders. The findings identify the considerations’ importance for prioritization on PSWs’ investments.