Baocheng Liu, Jinliang Liu, Yanqian Wen, Qinglin Hu, Liang Liu and Shili Zhao
In this paper, to obtain shear and bending performance of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP)-strengthened beams bonded by geopolymers, the effects of impregnated adhesive…
Abstract
Purpose
In this paper, to obtain shear and bending performance of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP)-strengthened beams bonded by geopolymers, the effects of impregnated adhesive types, strengthened scheme, CFRP layer and pre-cracked width are investigated, and the performance of CFRP-strengthened beams is validated by the establishment of Finite Element Models (FEMs).
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, static loading test and finite element analysis of epoxy-CFRP-strengthened (ECS) and geopolymer-CFRP-strengthened (GCS) were carried out, and the bearing capacity and stiffness were compared, the results show that GCS reinforced concrete (RC) beam is feasible and effective.
Findings
The bearing capacity, crack distribution and development, load–deflection curves of GCS RC beams with different pre-crack widths were investigated. The reinforcement effect of geopolymer achieves the same as epoxy, effectively improving the ultimate bearing capacity of the beam, with a maximum increase rate of 28.9%. The failure mode of CFRP is broken in the yield failure stage of GCS RC beam with reasonable strengthening form, and the utilization rate of CFRP is improved. CFRP-strengthened layers, pre-cracked widths significantly affect the mechanical properties, and deformation properties of the strengthened beams.
Originality/value
Compared with ECS RC beams, the bearing capacity and stiffness of GCS RC beams are similar to or even better, indicating that GCS RC beam is feasible and effective. It is a new method for CFRP-strengthened beams, which not only conforms to the concept of national ecological civilization construction, but also provides an economical, environmentally friendly and excellent performance solution for structural reinforcement.
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Boya Ji, Yuming Liu and Zhanyong Jin
The purpose of this paper is to utilise a “Wuli-Shili-Renli (WSR)” system approach to create models for complex smart building energy management and evaluate the establishment of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to utilise a “Wuli-Shili-Renli (WSR)” system approach to create models for complex smart building energy management and evaluate the establishment of a building energy management platform.
Design/methodology/approach
The complexity and diversity of the data and demands of the energy management platform mean that it is necessary to analyse comprehensively. This paper uses a WSR system approach to handle, and optimise, the relationship between demands and participants and improve the whole platform. Then, this paper establishes comprehensive evaluation models to analysis the current energy management platforms by using the best integration platform as the baseline.
Findings
The WSR conceptual model clarifies the relationship between the elements and elements of the energy management platform clearly and provides the appropriate analytical methods with which to resolve key platform construction issues. The comprehensive evaluation based on a WSR system approach can take into account the systematic effect, so it is more accurate.
Research limitations/implications
The correlation degree between the layers of the energy management platform is rarely reflected.
Originality/value
This paper improves the modelling method used in the WSR system approach and demonstrates that the comprehensive evaluation based on the WSR system approach analyses the energy management platform for public buildings in a synthetic approach.
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Hongliang Yu, Zhen Peng, Zirui He and Chun Huang
The purpose of this paper is to establish a maturity evaluation model for the application of construction steel structure welding robotics suitable for the actual situation and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to establish a maturity evaluation model for the application of construction steel structure welding robotics suitable for the actual situation and specific characteristics of engineering projects in China and then to assess the maturity level of the technology in the application of domestic engineering projects more scientifically.
Design/methodology/approach
The research follows a qualitative and quantitative analysis method. In the first stage, the structure of the maturity model is constructed and the evaluation index system is designed by using the ideas of the capability maturity model and WSR methodology for reference. In the second stage, the design of the evaluation process and the selection of evaluation methods (analytic hierarchy process method, multi-level gray comprehensive evaluation method). In the third stage, the data are collected and organized (preparation of questionnaires, distribution of questionnaires, questionnaire collection). In the fourth stage, the established maturity evaluation model is used to analyze the data.
Findings
The evaluation model established by using multi-level gray theory can effectively transform various complex indicators into an intuitive maturity level or score status. The conclusion shows that the application maturity of building steel structure welding robot technology in this project is at the development level as a whole. The maturity levels of “WuLi – ShiLi – RenLi” are respectively: development level, development level, between starting level and development level. Comparison of maturity evaluation values of five important factors (from high to low): environmental factors, technical factors, management factors, benefit factors, personnel and group factors.
Originality/value
In this paper, based on the existing research related to construction steel structure welding robot technology, a quantitative and holistic evaluation of the application of construction steel structure welding robot technology in domestic engineering projects is conducted for the first time from a project perspective by designing a maturity evaluation index system and establishing a maturity evaluation model. This research will help the project team to evaluate the application level (maturity) of the welding robot in the actual project, identify the shortcomings and defects of the application of this technology, then improve the weak links pertinently, and finally realize the gradual improvement of the overall application level of welding robot technology for building steel structure.
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Baohua Yang, Shili Fang and Jinshuai Zhao
The purpose of this paper is to attempt to realize a complete analysis at scenario deduction of unconventional incidents coupling based on the GERTS network method.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to attempt to realize a complete analysis at scenario deduction of unconventional incidents coupling based on the GERTS network method.
Design/methodology/approach
Starting from the manifestation of coupling objects, three types of emergency coupling are analyzed according to different rules, which are “events‐events” coupling, “event‐factors” coupling and “factors‐factors” coupling. Then the coupling mechanism for emergency is focused on analyzing, and the concepts of three types of coupling are put forward, at the same time, three quantitative models for coupling mechanisms are present. Also, a case was discussed to verify the analysis of coupling mechanism of emergency.
Findings
According to the types of factors rules, the classes of coupling of emergency have been divided into three types. The coupling mechanism of emergency can be used to describe the novel coupling models.
Practical implications
This research provides the method for coupling analysis in the scenario of unconventional incidents and guides the emergency managers to develop contingency strategies.
Originality/value
The paper succeeds in constructing a novel coupling model for emergency, and it could provide an effective tool for a quantitative study on unconventional incidents coupling.
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Qianqian Ju, Yan Wang, Hui Liu, Xiaoyun Du and Yifei Li
Stakeholders in complex capital projects are characterized by complicated interactions, adversarial short-term relationships and cooperative demand for deliverables. Unhealthy…
Abstract
Purpose
Stakeholders in complex capital projects are characterized by complicated interactions, adversarial short-term relationships and cooperative demand for deliverables. Unhealthy interfaces between stakeholders often lead to significant interface conflicts, which gradually become apparent in the construction stage. However, stakeholder interface health (SIH) has not been well understood and measured in the construction industry by either scholars or practitioners. It is essential to identify unhealthy interface relationships between stakeholders by comprehensively assessing SIH for enhancing project performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The study provided a comprehensive framework to assess SIH. The assessment was based on Wuli-Shili-Renli theory. Moreover, the CRITIC and Grey-TOPSIS methodologies were applied to precisely evaluate the SIH level. Besides, graph-based interface networks were developed to visualize SIH. At last, the framework was applied to a mass rapid transit project in China to test the validity of the study.
Findings
The result showed that stakeholder interfaces with strict contract constraints are healthier. On the other hand, IM behaviors make up for the soft coordination mechanism without contract constraints to a certain extent. The results of the case study were consistent with the actual project practices. The proposed framework provided a useful IM tool for assessing and visualizing SIH.
Research limitations/implications
The limitation of this study is that only the mass rapid transit project was selected for empirical analysis to validate the effectiveness of the proposed framework. It is recommended that the proposed framework be applied to other types of complex capital projects to further discussions in IM.
Practical implications
Theoretically, this study introduces a comprehensive framework to measure the health of stakeholder interfaces in complex capital projects, which helps to provide a theoretical basis and methodological support for stakeholder interface management.
Social implications
Practically, applying SIH assessment to existing interface management procedures can help the project manager identify interface conflicts between stakeholders in time and eventually contribute to the improvement of PM performance. At the same time, the interface management team tracks the responsibilities of unhealthy interface stakeholders and requires them to take measures to improve the SIH level. Stakeholder interfaces with lower health scores should be given more attention. The proposed framework can serve as a novel IM approach to identify weaknesses in IM and take targeted management measures to alleviate unhealthy stakeholder interface relationships.
Originality/value
The study provides an innovative method for scientifically and accurately assessing SIH. This research can help scholars and practitioners in the project management field facilitate the diagnosis of unhealthy interface relationships and provide decision support for the project management theoretical foundation.
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This chapter builds on the authors’ research into the internationalization of China’s higher education (HE) as soft power with “Chinese characteristics” (Lo & Pan, 2020). It…
Abstract
This chapter builds on the authors’ research into the internationalization of China’s higher education (HE) as soft power with “Chinese characteristics” (Lo & Pan, 2020). It rethinks the “Chinese characteristics” in contemporary China’s internationalization of HE as soft power, by contextualizing them in the historico-cultural rootedness that legitimizes the sense of Chinese exceptionalism in the Party-state’s global re-emergence. It also sheds light on the tension and paradox therein through analyzing the conflicts generated by the Party-state’s attempts at re-globalizing the Chinese world order alongside the Westphalian system. In addition to integrating the soft-power concepts coined by Joseph Nye (1990) with the dimensional perspectives on the internationalization of HE framed by Jane Knight (1997), this study also puts in China’s perspectives that stand in contrast to, and yet in confluence with, some of the current norms and values being espoused by the West. In so doing, it demonstrates the potentiality of employing comparative lenses that cut across times, spaces and cultures in the research into internationalization of HE as soft power with national characteristics.
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Salah Kayed, Mohammad Alta’any, Rasmi Meqbel, Ibrahim N. Khatatbeh and Abdalkareem Mahafzah
This study aims to explore the effects of internal financial technology (FinTech) integration within Jordanian banks on their performance metrics, specifically focusing on…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the effects of internal financial technology (FinTech) integration within Jordanian banks on their performance metrics, specifically focusing on profitability, risk-taking and stock returns.
Design/methodology/approach
Using panel data analysis, this study investigates the financial performance of 13 listed commercial banks in Jordan over a decade, from 2010 to 2019, to examine the hypothesized impacts of bank FinTech developments. In addition, several robustness tests addressing potential issues of endogeneity and autocorrelation are conducted to enhance the reliability of the results.
Findings
The results reveal that the bank FinTech development significantly enhances bank profitability and inversely affects risk-taking levels, indicating a substantial and positive impact on financial performance and stability. However, the results suggest no significant evidence of the effect of bank FinTech development on stock return.
Practical implications
The findings advocate for Jordanian commercial banks to continue and expand their investment in FinTech innovations, highlighting the crucial role these technologies play in enhancing financial performance and reducing bank risks. Additionally, these findings suggest that regulatory bodies and policymakers should develop and enhance institutional and regulatory environments to support and guide the FinTech evolution within the banking sector.
Originality/value
This study sheds light on the relatively under-researched area of internal bank FinTech. It provides critical insights into how FinTech integration within banks contributes to their profitability and stability, offering another perspective that enriches the FinTech literature. This contribution is essential for devising future strategies, developing theoretical frameworks and informing policy decisions in the FinTech domain.
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Greg G. Wang, David Lamond, Verner Worm, Wenshu Gao and Shengbin Yang
The purpose of this paper is to examine the indigenous Chinese concept of suzhi (素质) with the aim of furthering the development of Chinese human resource management (HRM) research…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the indigenous Chinese concept of suzhi (素质) with the aim of furthering the development of Chinese human resource management (HRM) research and practice.
Design/methodology/approach
An extensive review of the literature on suzhi, published in the West, as well as in China, is the basis for proffering an organizational-level conceptualization of suzhi in the Chinese context.
Findings
Instead of understanding it as a free-floating signifier, we argue that suzhi can be considered as a criterion-based framework for HRM research and practice. Suzhi research is classified into two major sources – indigenous Chinese and indigenized Western constructs. We further make a distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic suzhi, and analyze a popular set of suzhi criteria, considering de (morality) and cai (talent), while focusing on de in HRM selection (德才兼备, 以德为先). As multilevel and multidimensional framework, suzhi criteria may form different gestalts in different organizations and industries.
Research limitations/implications
From a social cultural and historical perspective, HRM research that incorporates a combination of indigenous and indigenized suzhi characteristics may receive better acceptance by individuals, organizations and the society in the Chinese context. Accordingly, the reconstruction of suzhi into manageable and measurable dimensions can be undertaken for more effective HRM practice in the Chinese context.
Originality/value
The HRM literature is advanced by linking the indigenous suzhi discourse to Chinese indigenous HRM research and practice.
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Caiyun Sun and Li Shi
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate doctoral candidates’ innovative ability tendency.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate doctoral candidates’ innovative ability tendency.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses the theory of gray target contribution to analyze the influence degree of doctoral candidates’ individual personality factor toward their innovative ability and calculate gray impact quantitative values.
Findings
Based on the theory of contribution degree of gray target, a nine-factor model of innovative personality of doctoral candidates is built. IP=f (B, H, G, Q1, Q2, A, I, F, O), (therein: B – intelligence, H – social boldness, G – perseverance, Q1 – experimental, Q2 – independence, A – gregariousness, I – sensibility, F – excitability, O – anxiety).
Practical implications
This study based on gray target contribution theory builds nine-factor doctoral candidates’ innovative personality model to test the innovative ability tendency of doctoral candidates, which makes cultivating units, mentors and doctoral candidates to know their innovative ability tendency well, perfecting their own knowledge structure in time, effectively improving their innovative ability. The system can also be applied to the work of doctoral candidates as a reference tool to evaluate the innovative ability of applicants.
Originality/value
This study quantitatively evaluates the influence of doctoral candidates’ personality index on the tendency of doctoral candidates’ innovative ability.
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Xinyu Mei, Feng Xu, Zhipeng Zhang and Yu Tao
Workers' unsafe behavior is the main cause of construction safety accidents, thereby highlighting the critical importance of behavior-based management. To compensate for the…
Abstract
Purpose
Workers' unsafe behavior is the main cause of construction safety accidents, thereby highlighting the critical importance of behavior-based management. To compensate for the limitations of computer vision in tackling knowledge-intensive issues, semantic-based methods have gained increasing attention in the field of construction safety management. Knowledge graph provides an efficient and visualized method for the identification of various unsafe behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
This study proposes an unsafe behavior identification framework by integrating computer vision and knowledge graph–based reasoning. An enhanced ontology model anchors our framework, with image features from YOLOv5, COCO Panoptic Segmentation and DeepSORT integrated into the graph database, culminating in a structured knowledge graph. An inference module is also developed, enabling automated the extraction of unsafe behavior knowledge through rule-based reasoning.
Findings
A case application is implemented to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method. Results show that the method can identify various unsafe behaviors from images of construction sites and provide mitigation recommendations for safety managers by automated reasoning, thus supporting on-site safety management and safety education.
Originality/value
Existing studies focus on spatial relationships, often neglecting the diversified spatiotemporal information in images. Besides, previous research in construction safety only partially automated knowledge graph construction and reasoning processes. In contrast, this study constructs an enhanced knowledge graph integrating static and dynamic data, coupled with an inference module for fully automated knowledge-based unsafe behavior identification. It can help managers grasp the workers’ behavior dynamics and timely implement measures to correct violations.