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Article
Publication date: 31 May 2019

Argaw Tarekegn Gurmu

The purpose of this paper is to identify and prioritise the safety and health practices, which are suitable to improve labour productivity in building construction projects, and…

1461

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and prioritise the safety and health practices, which are suitable to improve labour productivity in building construction projects, and to investigate the association between company profiles, project characteristics and the safety practices.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a mixed-method research design which involves two phases. In Phase I, qualitative data were collected and analysed to identify safety and health practices. In total, 19 experts who have experience in building construction projects were involved in the interviews. During Phase II, quantitative data were collected from contractors that are involved in the delivery of building projects using questionnaires which were administered via face-to-face interviews. After analysing the quantitative data, the safety and health practices were prioritised and the relationships between the practices and company profiles were investigated.

Findings

Safety and health policy, safety and health plan and hazard analysis are found to be the three most important practices that can improve productivity in building construction projects. The results of Spearman correlation analysis revealed that the level of implementation of the safety and health practices increases with project costs. Company experience and company size are positively associated with safety and health practices. Project delay is negatively correlated with safety and health practices.

Originality/value

The study provides useful information for international developers and contractors who want to do the construction business in Australia. Furthermore, contractors involved in the construction of building projects in Australia can implement the identified safety and health practices to improve labour productivity.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. 68 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

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Article
Publication date: 30 March 2020

Argaw Tarekegn Gurmu

The main objective of this research is to identify the most important human resource management (HRM) practices, which have the potential to enhance labour productivity using…

1012

Abstract

Purpose

The main objective of this research is to identify the most important human resource management (HRM) practices, which have the potential to enhance labour productivity using fuzzy synthetic evaluation approach.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a mixed-methods research design in which qualitative data were collected and analysed during Phase I and quantitative data were analysed during Phase II. Nineteen experts who have experience in building construction projects were involved in interviews conducted in Phase I. During Phase II, quantitative data were collected from contractors that were involved in the delivery of building projects using questionnaires and the data were analysed using FSE technique.

Findings

Clear delegation of responsibility, stability of organisational structure and crew composition are found to be the three most important HRM practices that can enhance productivity in building construction projects. The findings of the study showed that the overall importance index computed using the FSE model is 3.65 (≈ 4) with an equivalent linguistic term of “very important”. The study also suggested that the top three HRM practices should be implemented conjointly as there is no significant difference among their weights.

Originality/value

The output of this research can provide important information regarding the HRM practices in the Australian construction industry. Thus, international developers or contractors who want to do construction business in Australia can implement the essential HRM practices so that the productivity of their construction projects will not be affected negatively.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. 70 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

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Article
Publication date: 9 April 2018

Argaw Tarekegn Gurmu and Ajibade Ayodeji Aibinu

The purpose of this paper is to identify and prioritize management practices that have the potential to improve labor productivity in multi-storey building construction projects.

1521

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and prioritize management practices that have the potential to improve labor productivity in multi-storey building construction projects.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted two-phase mixed-methods research design and 58 project managers, contract administrators and project coordinators were involved in the survey. During Phase I, qualitative data were collected from 19 experts using interviews and the management practices that could enhance labor productivity in multi-storey building construction projects were identified. In Phase II, quantitative data were collected from 39 contractors involved in the delivery of multi-storey building projects by using questionnaires. The data were analyzed to prioritize the practices identified in Phase I.

Findings

Well-defined scope of work, safety and health policy, safety and health plan, hazard analysis, long-lead materials identification, safe work method statement, and toolbox safety meetings are the top seven practices that have the potential to improve labor productivity in multi-storey building projects.

Originality/value

The research identifies the management practices that can be implemented to enhance labor productivity in multi-storey building construction projects in the context of Australia. Being the first study in the Australian context, the findings can be used as benchmark for international comparison.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. 67 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

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Article
Publication date: 16 August 2024

Yicheng Yao and Argaw Gurmu

Prefabricated housing is a construction method that largely reduces construction waste and promotes sustainable development. However, the adoption of this method of construction…

48

Abstract

Purpose

Prefabricated housing is a construction method that largely reduces construction waste and promotes sustainable development. However, the adoption of this method of construction is inhibited by the lack of demand by consumers. The purpose of this research is to explore consumer education strategies aimed at overcoming prefabricated housing challenges in China.

Design/methodology/approach

The study conducted a systematic literature review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A comprehensive search was conducted using databases such as Scopus and Web of Science, without any restriction on publication date. A total of 33 relevant articles were retrieved and analyzed using the content analysis method. The findings were then summarized and presented using the tabulation technique.

Findings

This study identified several barriers to prefabricated housing, including negative perception, limited public understanding, risk-averse culture and lack of green value. To foster market demand, relevant authorities should consider implementing effective educational mechanisms, such as comparative advertising, social media marketing, school programs and critical adult education programs. These strategies can effectively overcome the existing negative perception, alleviate concerns and create a positive environment for the growth of prefabricated housing in China.

Originality/value

This research provides practical and theoretical implications by identifying key challenges to prefabricated housing and suggesting targeted educational strategies to address them. It offers valuable guidance for policymakers, industry stakeholders and researchers, contributing to the advancement of sustainable housing practices.

Details

Built Environment Project and Asset Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-124X

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Article
Publication date: 4 August 2023

Argaw Gurmu and Pabasara Wijeratne Mudiyanselage

Most residential building owners often report problems associated with the plumbing systems. If identified at the early stages, plumbing-related defects can be easily repaired…

278

Abstract

Purpose

Most residential building owners often report problems associated with the plumbing systems. If identified at the early stages, plumbing-related defects can be easily repaired. However, if unnoticed for a long period of time, they could lead to major damages and incur a significant cost to repair. Despite the problems, studies investigating plumbing anomalies and their root causes in residential buildings are limited. This study aims to explore plumbing defects and their potential causes, diagnosis methods and repair techniques in residential buildings.

Design/methodology/approach

This research used data collected through an extensive survey of both academic and grey literature. Through the content analysis, plumbing defects and the associated causes have been identified and presented in tabular format.

Findings

The study investigated the anomalies and causes in the residential plumbing system under five key sub-systems: water supply system; sanitary plumbing system; roof drainage system; heating, ventilation, air conditioning and gas system; and swimming pool. Accordingly, some of the identified plumbing defects include leakages, corrosion, water penetration, slow drainage and cracks. Damaged pipes, faulty equipment and installations are some of the common causes of the anomalies. Visual inspection, hydrostatic pressure test, thermography, high-tech pipe cameras, infrared cameras, leak noise correlators and leak loggers are techniques used for diagnosing anomalies. Reactive, preventive, predictive and reliability-centred maintenance strategies are identified to control or prevent anomalies.

Originality/value

The findings of this research can be used as a useful tool or guideline for contractors, plumbers, facilities managers and building surveyors to identify and rectify plumbing system-related defects in residential buildings.

Details

Facilities , vol. 41 no. 13/14
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-2772

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 26 June 2023

Argaw Gurmu, M. Reza Hosseini, Mehrdad Arashpour and Wellia Lioeng

Building defects are becoming recurrent phenomena in most high-rise buildings. However, little research exists on the analysis of defects in high-rise buildings based on data from…

195

Abstract

Purpose

Building defects are becoming recurrent phenomena in most high-rise buildings. However, little research exists on the analysis of defects in high-rise buildings based on data from real-life projects. This study aims to develop dashboards and models for revealing the most common locations of defects, understanding associations among defects and predicting the rectification periods.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 15,484 defect reports comprising qualitative and quantitative data were obtained from a company that provides consulting services for the construction industry in Victoria, Australia. Data mining methods were applied using a wide range of Python libraries including NumPy, Pandas, Natural Language Toolkit, SpaCy and Regular Expression, alongside association rule mining (ARM) and simulations.

Findings

Findings reveal that defects in multi-storey buildings often occur on lower levels, rather than on higher levels. Joinery defects were found to be the most recurrent problem on ground floors. The ARM outcomes show that the occurrence of one type of defect can be taken as an indication for the existence of other types of defects. For instance, in laundry, the chance of occurrence of plumbing and joinery defects, where paint defects are observed, is 88%. The stochastic model built for door defects showed that there is a 60% chance that defects on doors can be rectified within 60 days.

Originality/value

The dashboards provide original insight and novel ideas regarding the frequency of defects in various positions in multi-storey buildings. The stochastic models can provide a reliable point of reference for property managers, occupants and sub-contractors for taking measures to avoid reoccurring defects; so too, findings provide estimations of possible rectification periods for various types of defects.

Details

Construction Innovation , vol. 25 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-4175

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