Erik Poirier, Sheryl Staub-French, Angelique Pilon, Azadeh Fallahi, Zahra Teshnizi, Thomas Tannert and Thomas Froese
The purpose of this paper is to study the design process innovations that enabled the successful delivery of a hybrid, mass-timber high-rise building in Canada, the Brock Commons…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the design process innovations that enabled the successful delivery of a hybrid, mass-timber high-rise building in Canada, the Brock Commons Tallwood House at the University of British Columbia. It is one of a set of papers examining the project, including companion papers that describe innovations used during the mass timber construction process and the impact of these innovations on construction performance.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-method, longitudinal case study approach was used in this research project to investigate and document the Tallwood House project over a three-year period. Both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis techniques were used. Graduate student researchers were embedded within the project team to observe meetings and decision-making and to conduct periodic interviews.
Findings
The research highlights a case of a balanced triple-helix system that provided a context for the successful “clustering” of product and process innovation, which were developed and implemented to flow throughout the project’s lifecycle and across its supply chain to provide benefits at each stage. Four significant process-based innovations were implemented at the design phase of the building project to support radical product innovation: an integrated design process, virtual design and construction, designing for manufacturing and assembling and a rigorous quality control and quality assurance process. The product innovations developed through these process innovations were the structural system and the prefabricated envelope system. The context of innovation was seen to allow this “clustering,” which is believed to be a key condition of success and enabled the efficient and successful delivery of the project. Generally, the approach was successful; however, some factors including the number of stakeholders and good-faith collaboration may limit the replicability of these strategies.
Originality/value
This paper presents an in-depth investigation into the instantiation of an innovation system, identified as a balanced triple-helix system, which enabled and facilitated the design and decision-making process for a radical product innovation. Moreover, this paper describes the deployment of a “cluster” of process innovations that flowed throughout the project’s lifecycle and across the project supply chain. This was seen as a key factor in ensuring the successful delivery of the project.
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The purpose of this paper is to develop an eight-step procedure – transaction formalism protocol (TFP) – in the area of infrastructure management. The proposed TFP is developed…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop an eight-step procedure – transaction formalism protocol (TFP) – in the area of infrastructure management. The proposed TFP is developed from two perspectives: TFP Specification (conceptual) and TFP Tool (application). This paper introduces the TFP Specification and discusses the TFP Tool in detail.
Design/methodology/approach
To develop the proposed TFP Tool, a five-step methodology was used: identify and select existing standards, benchmark standards, link and build on these standards, develop the proposed TFP Tool and validate the protocol.
Findings
The TFP Specification defines each step as a function for which inputs, controls, mechanisms, tools/techniques and outputs are specified. The TFP Tool comprises a set of forms and guidance that the transaction development personnel, including transaction analysts, transaction designers, software developers, process modellers and industry experts, will use to define transactions in infrastructure management domain.
Practical implications
The proposed TFP Tool enables transaction development personnel to define transactions effectively and efficiently for information and communication technology (ICT)-based solutions through defining information in a structured, consistent and easy way.
Originality/value
The TFP Tool was built on existing standards incorporating their shortcomings, including lack of a step-by-step procedure to help guide the personnel what to do next, lack of transaction monitoring and improvement steps and lack of standardised forms to collect information in a prescribed format for implementation in ICT-based collaboration systems. The proposed Tool was evaluated and found to be feasible, usable and useful.
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Mohamed Kasbar, Sheryl Staub-French, Angelique Pilon, Erik Poirier, Zahra Teshnizi and Thomas Froese
The purpose of this paper is to improve the understanding of the impact of mass timber construction methods on construction performance through the successful delivery of the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to improve the understanding of the impact of mass timber construction methods on construction performance through the successful delivery of the first-of-a-kind tall wood building, Brock Commons Tallwood House (Tallwood House). This paper is one of a set of papers examining the project; companion papers describe innovations used during the mass timber design and construction processes.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-method, longitudinal case study approach was used in this research project to investigate and document the Tallwood House project. Quantitative data were collected to perform the following analysis: hook time, the variability of productivity and schedule reliability. Members of the research team observed construction progress, meetings and decision-making, conducted periodic interviews and reviewed project artifacts.
Findings
The research presented in this paper is the culmination of a longitudinal study aimed at studying the innovation process on a project where radical innovations of structural systems were developed. Prefabrication, combined with the use of a virtual design and construction (VDC) model for planning and fabrication and early collaboration with trades, construction managers and consultants, increased the labor productivity of the on-site erection of the mass timber structural components and envelope panels and expedited the construction schedule.
Originality/value
This paper details an in-depth investigation into the construction productivity for a unique building project and lessons learned. The case study chosen is the construction of Tallwood House at the University of British Columbia. Tallwood House was the tallest mass-timber hybrid building in the world at the time of its construction.
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Sheryl Staub-French, Angelique Pilon, Erik Poirier, Azadeh Fallahi, Mohamed Kasbar, Francisco Calderon, Zahra Teshnizi and Thomas Froese
The purpose of this paper is to present the construction process innovations that enabled the successful delivery of the hybrid mass timber high-rise building in Canada, the Brock…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the construction process innovations that enabled the successful delivery of the hybrid mass timber high-rise building in Canada, the Brock Commons Tallwood House at the University of British Columbia. It is one of a set of papers examining the project, including companion papers that describe innovations in the mass timber design process and the impact of these innovations on construction performance. The focus of this paper is on innovation in the construction phase and its relationship to innovations implemented in previous project phases.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-method, longitudinal case study approach was used in this research project to investigate and document the Tallwood House project over a three-year period. Both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis techniques were used. Members of the research team observed prefabrication and construction, conducted periodic interviews and reviewed project artefacts.
Findings
The research identified three innovation “clusters,” including the use of innovative tools, techniques and strategies in the design and construction processes and the role they played in delivering the project. The “clusters” were further characterized according to the type of “connectivity” they afforded, either facilitation, operationalization or materialization. These two perspectives support a compounding view on innovation and help to understand how it can flow throughout a project’s life cycle and across its supply chain. Three process-based innovations were initiated during the design phase, integrated design process, building information modeling and virtual design and construction and flowed through to the construction phase. These were seen to enable the creation of connections that were crucial to the overall success of the project. These innovations were operationalized and enacted through the construction phase as design for manufacturing and assembly and prefabrication, staged construction and just-in-time delivery, integration of safety and risk management and a rigorous quality control and quality assurance process. Finally, a full-scale mock-up was produced for practice and constructability assessment, materializing the radical product innovation that was the mass timber structure. These strategies are used together for a synergistic and integrated approach to increase productivity, expedite the construction schedule and develop an innovative building product.
Originality/value
This paper details an in-depth investigation into the diffusion dynamics of multiple systemic innovations for the construction process of a unique building project, the tools and techniques used by the construction manager and team, and the challenges, solutions and lessons learned.
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Jehan Zeb, Thomas Froese and Dana Vanier
The purpose of this paper is to develop and apply an ontology-supported asset information integrator system (AIIS) in the domain of infrastructure management. The two objectives…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop and apply an ontology-supported asset information integrator system (AIIS) in the domain of infrastructure management. The two objectives are: first, to describe how different ontologies developed as part of this research support the design of message templates (MTs) that were implemented in the AIIS; and second, to explain the development and application of the prototype system for tangible capital asset (TCA) reporting.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed system was developed in the MS SharePoint platform using a four-step methodology: create a web site and library; review and modify MTs; design and configure workflows; and add functionalities.
Findings
First, the architecture, methodology, and evaluation of the two ontologies: Transaction Domain Ontology and Tangible Capital Asset Ontology, developed as part of this research work were briefly introduced to describe how both the ontologies supported the design of MTs that were implemented in the AIIS. Second, the AIIS was successfully developed and applied in the domain of infrastructure management for the Asset Inventory and Condition Assessment Reporting.
Practical implications
The development of the AIIS would enable industry experts to exchange the tangible capital information. The built-in search engine and history services would help the experts to search a transaction and track the transaction history. The real-time visualisation of the data would help in decision making.
Originality/value
Infrastructure agencies use diversified information systems to manage infrastructure systems. Due to propriety nature of the information systems, the TCA data generated is heterogeneous and inconsistent, which make it difficult to exchange with other organisations. Also, the existing applications focus on processing and managing the TCA data for a variety of tasks; however, lack to support data exchange with other organisations. This emphasises the gap that requires the development of an ontology-supported collaboration system in the domain of infrastructure asset management.
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The purpose of this paper is to develop a step-by-step procedure, referred to as transaction formalism protocol (TFP) that the transaction development personnel will use to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a step-by-step procedure, referred to as transaction formalism protocol (TFP) that the transaction development personnel will use to formalise transactions (communications) in the domain of infrastructure management. The protocol is developed at two levels of abstraction: TFP specification and TFP tool. This paper presents the TFP specification in detail and introduces the TFP tool briefly. The specific focus of this paper is on the development process of the protocol specification.
Design/methodology/approach
A four-step approach is used to develop the TFP; including, identify and select existing standards, benchmark standards, link and build on these standards, and develop TFP. To develop the protocol, the function modelling standard, integration definition function modelling (IDEF0) is used. The IDEF0 treats each step of the protocol as a function.
Findings
The TFP specification and TFP tool are developed using the proposed methodology. The TFP specification specifies inputs, controls, mechanisms, tools/techniques, and outputs required in each step, whereas the TFP tool defines forms for each step of the protocol that the transaction development personnel will use to define transactions in the domain of infrastructure management.
Practical implications
The development of the TFP would enable the transaction development personnel (including transaction analysts, transaction designers, software developers, process modellers, and industry experts) to formalise transactions effectively and efficiently for the development of ICT-based collaboration systems.
Originality/value
The proposed protocol incorporates shortcomings of existing standards. In contrast to other design standards that focus on either design or design cum implementation of the work processes and communications, the proposed TFP includes transaction monitoring and improvements in addition to the design and implementation of communications. Unlike other standards, the TFP is a detailed step-by-step procedure to ease its usability and understandability.
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Guillermo Aranda‐Mena, John Crawford, Agustin Chevez and Thomas Froese
The purpose of this paper is to inform project management practice on the business benefits of building information modelling (BIM) adoption.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to inform project management practice on the business benefits of building information modelling (BIM) adoption.
Design/methodology/approach
BIM needs to compete against well‐ingrained methods to deliver projects in a fragmented and rather traditional industry. This paper investigates 47 value propositions for the adoption of BIM under a multiple case study investigation carried out in Australia and Hong Kong. The selected case study projects included a range of public (1) and private (4) sector building developments of small and large‐scale. Findings are coded, interpreted and synthesised in order to identify the challenges and business drivers, and the paper focuses mainly on challenges and benefits for architectural and engineering consultants, contractors and steel fabricators. As a condition for the selection criteria all case studies had to be collaborating by sharing BIM data between two or more consultants/stakeholders. As practices cannot afford to ignore BIM, this paper aims to identify those immediate business drivers as to provoke debate amongst the professional and academic community.
Findings
Shared understanding on business drivers to adopt BIM for managing the design and construction process of building projects raging from small commercial to high‐rise.
Originality/value
The originality of the research reported in this paper is that it breaks from a proliferating series of articles on BIM as industry “aspiration” and as a “marketing” statement. The elicited drivers for BIM underwent industry, academic and peer validation.
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I build on a strong foundation of prior studies about expatriate compensation in general to provide an overview of changes in expatriate compensation, from home- to host-based…
Abstract
Purpose
I build on a strong foundation of prior studies about expatriate compensation in general to provide an overview of changes in expatriate compensation, from home- to host-based approaches, during the past 10 years.
Methodology/approach
Underpinned by findings from academic and practitioner literature, I review and integrate studies of expatriate compensation and global talent management to outline the challenges and opportunities home- and host-based compensation approaches present to MNEs.
Findings
Home-based compensation is becoming an outdated and overly expensive model that is often ineffective in moving MNEs’ global competitive advantage to where it needs to be, leaving host-based approaches as the only alternative. But the use of host-based “cheaper” compensation approaches can also lead to unintended outcomes for MNEs in terms of unforeseen opportunity costs (such as the loss of critical talent) arising from shortsighted compensation decisions.
Practical implications
I argue that expatriate compensation works best when it is not based on an employees’ home-country status but instead on the role that he or she performs locally. I suggest a host-based compensation approach — global compensation — that is based on the worth of the position rather than where the individual has come from. Such an approach is more equitable because it is performance-based thereby eliminating overpaying and perceived unfairness. It is much simpler to administer than home-based compensation because it represents an extension of most MNEs already existing domestic (home country) pay-for-performance model.
Originality/value
Despite more than 10 years of new compensation practices being implemented and reported by global mobility practitioners, very little has been studied or written by scholars about some of the recent changes in expatriate compensation over the past decade. The chapter addresses this gap in academic literature.