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Article
Publication date: 29 February 2008

L.M. Swaffield and A.M. McDonald

The purpose of this paper is to investigate attitudes and opinions of quantity surveyors working for design and construction contractors regarding the importance and use of life…

3768

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate attitudes and opinions of quantity surveyors working for design and construction contractors regarding the importance and use of life cycle costing within private finance initiative (PFI) projects, and the subsequent effects on the maintenance budgets of the facilities management contractor within the PFI consortium.

Design/methodology/approach

This research includes a literature review, a questionnaire survey, four semi‐structured interviews and a case study of a facilities management contractor that operated on a completed PFI project.

Findings

The research identified that contractors' quantity surveyors generally did consider life cycle costs when procuring new products/elements for PFI projects, but in certain circumstances, such as during exceptionally busy times or when working within tight construction budgets, life cycle costs were not considered and procurement decisions for some products/elements were made on the basis of lowest capital cost. The research found that the occasional failure of contractors' quantity surveyors to consider life cycle costs had significant financial risk implications for the facilities management contractors, as there were likely to be increased maintenance costs in the future, compared to the original budget for maintenance costs.

Originality/value

This research will be of interest to industry professionals working on PFI projects, particularly quantity surveyors and facilities management contractors. Academic researchers with an interest in life cycle costing will benefit from the information on the practicalities of managing costs on a PFI project.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 15 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

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Publication date: 12 June 2020

Ho Kwong Kwan, Xiaofeng Xu, Haixiao Chen and Miaomiao Li

Drawing on the social cognitive theory, this study investigated the effect of mentors' drinking norms on their protégés' alcohol misuse by focusing on the mediating role of…

Abstract

Drawing on the social cognitive theory, this study investigated the effect of mentors' drinking norms on their protégés' alcohol misuse by focusing on the mediating role of conformity drinking motives and the moderating role of moral disengagement. We conducted a three-wave survey of 148 mentor–protégé dyads and found that mentors' drinking norms were positively related to their protégés' alcohol misuse and that this relationship was fully mediated by conformity drinking motives. Moreover, the moderated mediation model revealed that moral engagement strengthens the main effects of mentors' drinking norms on conformity drinking motives and the indirect effects of mentors' drinking norms on protégés' alcohol misuse via enhanced conformity drinking motives. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

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Article
Publication date: 12 April 2013

Stanisław Belniak, Agnieszka Leśniak, Edyta Plebankiewicz and Krzysztof Zima

The choice of a particular architectural solution when designing a building considerably influences the costs of its construction. The aim of this paper is to present the indexes…

2108

Abstract

Purpose

The choice of a particular architectural solution when designing a building considerably influences the costs of its construction. The aim of this paper is to present the indexes which may relate to the complexity of the building shape, and which were then specified and compared on a particular example.

Design/methodology/approach

The article analyses various indices of building shape evaluation, their influence on the changes in construction costs and their sensitivity to the changes in the dimensions of the building. The methodology adopted in this article concerns the analysis of the selected simple factors assessing the shape of the building against the cost‐effectiveness of constructing the basic elements of the building.

Findings

The authors established the best building shape in relation to the costs of constructing the walls and foundations (square), and to the layout of the inside of the building (rectangle). They believe that the best evaluations of building shape were achieved by the LBI index, which evaluated the shape correctly in all of the analysed examples and which is the most sensitive to the changes in building parameters in correct proportions to the changes in construction costs.

Originality/value

The article presents the indexes which may relate to the complexity of the building shape. The authors established the best building shape in relation to the costs of constructing. The authors provide the degree of the floor area usability in buildings of various shapes.

Details

Journal of Financial Management of Property and Construction, vol. 18 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-4387

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Article
Publication date: 25 July 2008

Olubola Babalola and David Abiodun Adesanya

Electrical services contribute a substantial percentage of total construction cost of any particular project. It is essential for estimators to have a detailed knowledge of the…

1110

Abstract

Purpose

Electrical services contribute a substantial percentage of total construction cost of any particular project. It is essential for estimators to have a detailed knowledge of the factors that affect the incorporation of electrical services cost into the overall building project cost. The overall aim of the study that formed the basis for this paper therefore was to investigate the factors that influence cost estimating of electrical services project.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was carried out based on questionnaire survey of 225 organizations that are involved in cost estimating of electrical services projects in Nigeria. A total of 158 questionnaires out of the 163 retrieved were appropriate for analysis. A list of factors potentially influencing cost estimate for electrical services was identified for the respondents to rate. The data collected were analyzed using factor analysis based on principal component analysis and varimax orthogonal rotation.

Findings

The results shows that the factors affecting production of cost estimate for electrical services could be grouped into four principal factors: the most important factor grouping being estimator competence followed by project technicality, economic requirements and contract requirements.

Practical implications

Many factors are considered by practitioners in the preparation of cost estimate for electrical work in construction project development. The paper has listed about 23 factors that are relevant. However, this paper has shown that four principal factors need to be considered as they explain 64 percent of the factors affect cost estimate production for building project's electrical service works.

Originality/value

Review of literature has shown that there is limited empirical research on the factors influencing cost estimate production for electrical services work. The paper has produced an empirical research on the crucial factors that must be taken into account when producing cost estimate for the electrical service projects.

Details

Journal of Financial Management of Property and Construction, vol. 13 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-4387

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Article
Publication date: 1 March 2007

David J Lowe, Margaret W Emsley and Anthony Harding

This paper seeks to redress the omission in recent literature on the influence of project strategic, site related and design related variables on the cost of construction. It…

989

Abstract

This paper seeks to redress the omission in recent literature on the influence of project strategic, site related and design related variables on the cost of construction. It presents, in part, the results of an investigation into the influence of 41 independent variables on both construction cost and client cost, concentrating on design related variables. Data were collected from 286 construction projects in the United Kingdom and correlation and test for differences were used to determine the relationships that exist between the dependent and independent variables. The analysis ascertains the cost ranking of many design related variables and establishes other relationships which exist within the data, confirming many of the relationships that had been anticipated from the literature. It also established the ordinal sequence of several nominal variables. These data, therefore, can be confidently used to develop models of the total cost of construction as verified by the development of both regression analysis and neural network cost models

Details

Journal of Financial Management of Property and Construction, vol. 12 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-4387

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Article
Publication date: 21 August 2020

Solomon Olusola Babatunde, Damilola Ekundayo, Chika Udeaja and Uthman Olawande Abubakar

In the global construction industry, the concept of sustainability is not new, particularly within building projects. Against this backdrop, several studies have been conducted…

488

Abstract

Purpose

In the global construction industry, the concept of sustainability is not new, particularly within building projects. Against this backdrop, several studies have been conducted, mostly in developed countries, on sustainability in construction projects. However, efforts at investigating sustainability practices in public–private partnership (PPP) infrastructure projects in developing countries have received limited attention. Hence, the purpose of this study is to investigate the incorporation of sustainability practices within the context of Nigeria’s PPP infrastructure projects.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey, which targeted four different types of stakeholders, was conducted in this study. These stakeholders included public sector authorities, concessionaires, consultants and banks undertaking PPP infrastructure projects in the Lagos State, Nigeria. The data collected were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean score, standard deviation (SD) analyses and the Kruskal–Wallis test.

Findings

The findings of this study revealed that all the respondents are very much aware of sustainability principles and the vast majority of the respondents from the public sector authorities and the consultant organizations confirmed that they have incorporated sustainability requirements into their bidding documents for PPP infrastructure projects. The study revealed sustainability features in the three aspects of sustainability, namely, economic, environmental and social factors. Furthermore, the study revealed the top three–ranked economic factors of sustainability (considered to be the most important factors) were low maintenance costs, whole life costing and supporting the local economy, respectively. Similarly, the study revealed the top three–ranked environmental factors of sustainability were biodiversity, energy use during the operation stage and energy use during the construction stage, respectively. Furthermore, the study further revealed that the top three–ranked social factors of sustainability were the educational aspect, equity between stakeholders and health and safety, respectively.

Practical implications

The study will be of great value to PPP stakeholders involved in sustainability decision-making processes when delivering sustainable PPP projects, particularly in Nigeria. Also, the study’s findings are important as not many empirical studies have been conducted on the sustainability practices of current PPP projects in Nigeria.

Originality/value

The study’s findings would further inform the need for both the public and private sectors to take a more strategic approach to enhance sustainability in PPP projects.

Details

Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6099

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Article
Publication date: 5 July 2013

Graham Brewer, Thayaparan Gajendran, Marcus Jefferies, Denny McGeorge, Steve Rowlinson and Andrew Dainty

Public‐private partnerships (PPPs) and other innovative procurement mechanisms are frequently used to deliver both an asset and a public service over a protracted period. The…

879

Abstract

Purpose

Public‐private partnerships (PPPs) and other innovative procurement mechanisms are frequently used to deliver both an asset and a public service over a protracted period. The value streams to the parties involved can be complex, but generally arise from the satisfactory provision of infrastructure that is fit for purpose throughout its life. This research aims to investigate the effectiveness of the facility management (FM) function in delivering long‐term value to both the client and consortium.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper describes a case study of a PPP in Australia that delivered social infrastructure in multiple locations to a state government. Drawing upon multiple perspectives from within the consortium, it utilises inductive principles to identify the influences on value generation through innovation by the FM function.

Findings

The ability of an Australian FM contractor to provide value within a PPP context has been shown to reflect some of the attributes described in literature. However, the extent of innovation, especially in the design and construction phases, has been limited by organisational history and capability, and relational and contextual issues.

Originality/value

This research highlights a flaw in the rhetoric relating to PPP delivery, namely the disconnection between the asset delivery and service delivery phases, which stifles the consortium's capacity to innovate and maximise value. It reveals a set of influences that both resonate with the literature and plausibly explain the suboptimal performance of the FM function within an Australian PPP. By using highly iterative analysis leading to within‐case generalisability, it provides a robust basis for wider investigation of the problem.

Details

Built Environment Project and Asset Management, vol. 3 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-124X

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Article
Publication date: 13 April 2015

Anthony Higham, Chris Fortune and Howard James

The purpose of this paper is to establish the extent to which life cycle costing (LCC) is used as an early stage project evaluation tool by practitioners in the UK construction…

3236

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to establish the extent to which life cycle costing (LCC) is used as an early stage project evaluation tool by practitioners in the UK construction industry. The use of this evaluation tool has long been advocated by academics as a means of ensuring best value rather than lowest cost is a driver for business decisions related to potential built environment projects. Therefore there is a need to appraise its current uptake levels amongst built environment professionals and assess whether there are any barriers affecting its use in UK practice.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a mixed methods approach, the authors present the findings from a survey of construction professionals located in the UK and the results from a series of follow up semi-structured interviews designed to further explore the factors found to affect the use of LCC in practice.

Findings

The study shows that LCC is still not widely used by built environment professionals in the UK. The greatest inhibitor on the take up of the tool is the need of clients to budget on short-term horizons. Other factors such as a lack awareness of the tool by practitioners and clients, unreliability of data into the long term and the overriding need for commercially driven projects to achieve maximum return on investment continue to inhibit the widespread adoption of LCC as an early stage project evaluation tool. These findings have implications for the capability of the UK construction industry to deliver on its commitment to enhance the sustainability of the built environment.

Originality/value

The paper offers insights into the current use of LCC and the factors affecting its use in the UK.

Details

Structural Survey, vol. 33 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-080X

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Article
Publication date: 15 March 2019

James Christian Hartwell, Yog Upadhyay and Amr Sourani

It has been claimed that the private finance initiative (PFI) provides value for money in the overall life of the project through the lifecycle costing (LCC) process under the…

429

Abstract

Purpose

It has been claimed that the private finance initiative (PFI) provides value for money in the overall life of the project through the lifecycle costing (LCC) process under the umbrella of lifecycle management (LCM). The available literature points to the fact that LCC is very important in getting value for money from PFI projects. However, there is no literature available on the effect of the use of LCM in PFI projects in the UK. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that influence the success of LCM in educational PFI projects.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopts a post-positivist approach to literature review. Purposive sampling is utilised with a mixed methodological approach. 6 qualitative inductive interviews offer key themes, which are further investigated using quantitative deductive questionnaires, of which 35 were issued and 26 were returned.

Findings

The paper provides empirical insights about the key success factors of LCM in the education sector. The results highlight the necessity of quality standardized data collection in a big data form. It highlights the need for a cultural shift from short- to long-term profit maximisation and service provision by the use of LCM in the PFI education sector.

Research limitations/implications

A purposive sample was used to maximise the validity of data collection. Although this method has garnered concise and clear results, it is understood that this study is limited into a niche sector and a set of subsequently niche professionals. It is recommended that a larger sample be utilised and the spectrum of PFI sectors be opened up to further explore the topic.

Practical implications

Further investigations across different sectors of PFI project may be viewed as a good comparison, sectors such as health, accommodation and prisons. Gathering responses across all sector types could have resulted in a greater number of responses received and offer greater validity to this study.

Social implications

While key success factors are clearly identified, fragmentation is seen as a barrier to the wholesale collection of such data. The responsibility, obligation to collect data for the benefit of future projects is not a priority for SMEs with little or no incentive to consider the progression of the sector. Albeit, there is evidence of one particular successful constructor/SPV, which is consolidating their business and are experiencing greater and sustained success.

Originality/value

This paper identifies previously unknown key influencing factors of success for educational PFI projects in relation to LCM.

Details

Built Environment Project and Asset Management, vol. 9 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-124X

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Article
Publication date: 23 July 2024

Bruno Lot Tanko, Jack Thomas Oakley, Zainab Jagun and Upeksha Madanayake

Sustainable and resilient infrastructure projects aim to reduce flooding impacts and improve community adaptability. For instance, flood-resistant stilts elevate structures…

90

Abstract

Purpose

Sustainable and resilient infrastructure projects aim to reduce flooding impacts and improve community adaptability. For instance, flood-resistant stilts elevate structures, mitigating flood damage. Comprehensive consideration is crucial when adding elements to housing projects, incurring costs for all involved parties. This study aims to assess the viability of concrete stilts for cost-effective flood mitigation in Malaysian terrace housing.

Design/methodology/approach

The study evaluates cost implications through a comparative 5D building information modeling (BIM) cost analysis of stilted and conventional (standard) housing models. This assesses the percentage increase in total cost. Furthermore, a survey of construction professionals was undertaken. The study used online convenience and stratified sampling techniques. Out of the 222 emails that were sent, 27 construction professionals located in Johor, Sabah and Selangor within Malaysia participated in the research survey. Their perspectives on stilt housing prospects and factors for costing such structures were analyzed through a descriptive analysis using SPSS.

Findings

The case study models revealed that the incorporation of stilts could lead to a 21.64% increase in the overall cost per unit. This cost increase was primarily attributed to the additional reinforcement required. However, the survey findings highlighted that a majority of construction professionals perceived the cost increment to fall within the range of 10%–20%. Consequently, it becomes imperative to meticulously consider cost factors such as foundational requirements, staircases, and the extended construction duration to effectively curtail expenditures. The prospect of heightened costs potentially posing a threat to profit margins and discouraging developers necessitates careful financial management. Notwithstanding these challenges, the survey's insights underscored that professionals in the construction industry indeed recognize the potential of stilt technology in the realm of flood mitigation and management, particularly within housing projects.

Practical implications

This research has significant practical implications. It provides a precise financial contrast between housing categories using 5D BIM and incorporates construction experts’ viewpoints on raised housing. Enhanced design considerations for raised housing can make it economically viable, offering a cost-effective, nature-based approach to flood mitigation. This approach can bring substantial benefits to residents by reducing flood-related damages and enhancing community resilience.

Originality/value

One of the notable aspects of this research is its originality. It uses a dual quantitative methodology involving modeling and survey techniques to address its objectives effectively. This approach contributes significantly to the relatively limited body of research focused on stilt housing and the application of 5D BIM. By combining these methodologies, the study explores a relatively uncharted area, making a valuable contribution to the field.

Details

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1726-0531

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