Search results

Embracing digitisation within the building surveying profession will enhance its practices and, of course, improve productivity. However, the level of digitisation within the building surveying profession is very low. Thus, this study aims to identify factors impacting technology adoption within the building surveying professions and provide practical ways of improving the adoption of technology.

This study employed a convergent mixed-methods approach to identify digital technologies applicable to building surveying professions. The study also investigates factors influencing technological adoptions and provides ways of improving their adoption. The data collected were analysed using thematic analysis and ordinary least squares regression.

The study found that business communication platforms and smartphone applications are frequently used, while digital survey equipment and in-house developed applications are less commonly utilised by building surveyors. The influencing factors identified are economy, technical knowledge, culture, efficiency and regulatory factors. The study recommends increased education and training for building surveyors, promotional opportunities from manufacturers and government intervention in the form of subsidies or tax breaks to promote further digitisation within the building surveying profession.

This study provides valuable insight into strategies for the digitalisation of the building surveying profession. Application of the findings would promote further utilisation of digital technologies.

This study aims to examine facility management practices in the Nigerian healthcare sector, exploring approaches and identifying challenges facing effective healthcare facilities management. The purpose is to contribute to the development of a framework for enhancing healthcare facility management efficiency in Nigeria.

The study employs a sequential in-depth exploratory qualitative research approach. The data collection involved conducting semi-structured interviews with 15 facility managers from diverse healthcare organisations in Nigeria. The qualitative data collected were analysed using thematic analysis.

The study reveals scheduled, unscheduled and mixed approaches as the three facility management approaches used in Nigeria. It also substantiates the underdeveloped nature of facility management in Nigeria's healthcare sector, exacerbated by challenges such as socioeconomic, operational, technological and regulatory challenges.

The study uncovers systemic issues affecting have attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and advocates for a comprehensive approach to enhance healthcare infrastructure, contributing to improved health outcomes and sustainable development.

This research uniquely uncovers the hidden challenges facing effective healthcare facility management in Nigeria, providing a foundation for stakeholders to formulate solutions and rescue the struggling state of healthcare facilities in the country.

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the construction sector are highly vulnerable to disruptions caused by political and economic decisions or even pandemics. This study evaluated the current operations of selected SMEs providing engineering design and consultancy services against Toyota Production System (TPS) lean tool. The purpose is to juxtapose SME operations and processes with TPS to ascertain the level of their operations conformity to the established TPS lean thinking tool.

This study used a qualitative data collection and analysis approach to evaluate the current processes of participating SMEs against Liker's 14 management principles of TPS. The data collected were analysed using thematic analysis to identify patterns and themes that emerged from the qualitative data.

The analysis revealed that focus on short-term goals, immediate profit and duplication of effort resulting from insufficient collaboration is currently creating waste in participating SMEs' operations. Hence, the implementation of TPS was recommended as a lean tool and a framework based on TPS lean tool was developed for improving the operations of SMEs.

The study is limited to SMEs operating only as consultants providing project planning design within the construction industry. Data collection is limited to qualitative even though observations would improve the outcome of the study.

The study advances contemporary issues in promoting lean implementation in construction sector and developed an improved framework based on the TPS to enhance the performance of SME construction businesses.

Buildings and their construction activities consume a significant proportion of mineral resources excavated from nature and contribute a large percentage of CO₂ in the atmosphere. As a way of improving the sustainability of building construction and operation, various sustainable design appraisal standards have been developed across nations. Albeit criticism of the appraisal standards, evidence shows that increasing sustainability of the built environment has been engendered by such appraisal tools as Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficacy, among others. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of the appraisal standards in engendering whole lifecycle environmental sustainability of the built environment.

In order to evaluate the adequacy of sustainability scores assigned to various lifecycle stages of buildings in the appraisal standards, four case studies of a block of classroom were modelled. Using Revit as a modelling platform, stage by stage lifecycle environmental impacts of the building were simulated through Green Building Studio and ATHENA Impact estimator. The resulting environmental impacts were then compared against the assessment score associated with each stage of building lifecycle in BREAAM and CfSH.

Results show that albeit the consensus that the appraisal standards engender sustainability practices in the AEC industry, total scores assigned to impacts at each stage of building lifecycle is disproportionate to the simulated whole-life environmental impacts associated with the stages in some instances.

As the study reveals both strengths and weaknesses in the existing sustainability appraisal standards, measures through which they can be tailored to resource efficiency and lifecycle environmental sustainability of the built environment are suggested.

The purpose of this study is to find the optimum design of Reinforced Concrete (RC) pile foundation to enable efficient use of structural concrete with greater consequences for global environment and economy.

A non-linear optimisation technique based on the Generalised Reduced Gradient (GRG) algorithm was implemented to find the minimum cost of RC pile foundation in frictional soil. This was achieved by obtaining the optimum pile satisfying the serviceability and ultimate limit state requirements of BS 8004 and EC 7. The formulated structural optimisation procedure was applied to a case study project to assess the efficiency of the proposed design formulation.

The results prove that the GRG method in Excel solver is an active, fast, accurate and efficient computer programme to obtain optimum pile design. The application of the optimisation for the case study project shows up to 26% cost reduction compared to the conventional design.

The design and formulation of design constraints will be limited to provisions of BS 8004 and EC 7.

Since the minimum quantity of concrete was attained through optimisation, then minimum cement will be used and thus result in minimum CO₂ emission. Therefore, the optimum design of concrete structures is a vital solution to limit the damage to the Earth's climate and the physical environment resulting from high carbon emissions.

The current study considers the incorporation of different soil ground parameters in the optimisation process rather than assuming any pile capacity value for the optimisation process.

Health and safety is an important issue in workplaces, and despite safety procedures becoming more strict, serious accidents are still happening within the UK construction sector. This demonstrates poor performance in the implementation of safety procedures on construction sites. One of the key challenges is the unwillingness of the site workforce, especially the subcontracted operatives, to adhere to safety provisions on construction sites. As such, this study investigates the strategies for enhancing safe behaviour amongst subcontracted operatives in the UK construction industry.

The study used exploratory sequential mixed method research, involving interviews and questionnaires as means of data collection, and thematic analysis, reliability analysis and exploratory factor analysis as methods of data analysis.

The study suggests that various carrot and stick measures are expected to be put in place as part of the strategies for enhancing safe behaviour amongst subcontracted operatives. These include adequate enforcement of safety practices by the management, operative engagement and motivation, commendation and rewards, site safety targets, leadership style and motivation.

Application of the suggested measures could enhance safety on construction sites, as it provides practical measures and solutions for inculcating safety behaviours amongst the site operatives who are most likely to be the victims of site accidents.