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Errors occur everywhere and research into inaccuracy has become an important area of study. Managers make errors, and the effects include poor safety, reduced quality, increased cost and decreased profit. Despite this, management errors have received almost no study. The present paper contains a review of the definition and causes of human errors, and discusses the applicability of these factors to managers and the effect of time pressure on decision making. The concept of management errors is proposed and a network‐based project model is developed. This approach is used to simulate the occurrence of activity‐based errors, and to determine the influence of pressure on management and the effects of inaccuracies on the project duration.

A review of techniques used in industry showed that there is an absence of a formalised, systematic approach to earthworks planning. The techniques used tend to be subjective and time consuming with a heavy reliance given to the experience and knowledge of the planner. This absence of a formalised technique can lead to inaccurate planning and makes explanation of the techniques difficult. This paper describes the development of a new automated approach for use by the planners to generate earthworks activities that overcomes such limitations. As well as creating activity sets in a much shorter time, the ability to compare various sets allows the planner more scope when planning earthworks. The model is able to generate activity sets that are comparable to those generated by a project planner.

This paper describes the integration of various models to provide a realistic decision support system for linear project site layout. Initially, the paper describes an investigation to determine the actual methods currently used by project managers and planners. A review of both techniques adopted by the managers and the knowledge acquisition methods employed are included in the paper. Following this, this paper describes the work done to automate the existing systems. This resulted in a system which has been used in practice and has been shown to be a great help to managers. It is based on the traditional method of mass‐haul diagrams used to determine the earthworks activities. A separate simulation and artificial intelligence model of earthworks are described. This will be extended to model linear projects more realistically than does mass‐haul.

Examines the potential for introducing automation processes including robots into the construction industry. Outlines some of the problems to be tackled including the technical and organisational problems of site layouts and the role of automation and robotics in construction. Looks at the advantages of using task‐specific robots and the development of mechatronics. Emphasizes the need for the development of CAD in architecture and construction as autonomous robotic machines require appropriate design description of a building to make available the necessary information about the developing building geometry on the construction site.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the innovative approaches to further reduce the environmental impacts during the construction of mega transportation infrastructure, particularly for Australia.

As part of this research, the Sydney Metro was exploited as a case study. This included reviewing the elements of reducing the environmental impacts for the Sydney Metro.

This research has found that there are six elements of reducing the environmental impacts of the Australian public transport infrastructure process. Moreover, this research also found that for the Sydney Metro, first, the logistic planning and optimisation was carefully developed followed by the remaining five elements.

The originality of this research consists of carefully examining the Sydney Metro’s environmental implications including its on-going EIA and EPA compliance.

A literature review is presented in the subject of construction plant and equipment management (CPeM) to: delineate the subject; consider its development over recent years; and identify principal themes within it. The paper aims to close the gap in knowledge, by using these objectives as a mechanism to observe how research themes relate to primary CPeM functions, and to suggest future research direction.

A thematic review of CPeM academic literature (in the main, refereed journal papers published in English‐speaking countries over the last decade) is undertaken; the nature of identified themes is discussed, for instance, regarding why they might have evolved as they have; and based on the foregone, themes for future research in the field are proffered.

CPeM is found well established within the broader subject of construction management. Eight principal themes are identified, namely plant maintenance; downtime and productivity; optimisation; robotics and automation; health and safety; operators and competence; machine control; and “miscellaneous”.

It is proffered that based on informational/technological advancements coupled with growing environmental/financial pressures, future CPeM research will strive to facilitate even greater plant reliability and safer modes of working. It is suggested that “optimum production methods” and “minimal resource consumption” will become inherent theme goals.

This is the first time that CPeM research has been consolidated and reviewed for publication in this manner.

Over the past decade, the rapid evolution of social media has impacted the field of human resource management in numerous ways. In response, scholars and practitioners have sought to begin an investigation of the myriad of ways that social media impacts organizations. To date, research evidence on a range of HR-related topics are just beginning to emerge, but are scattered across a range of diverse literatures. The principal aim of this chapter is to review the current literature on the study of social media in HRM and to integrate these disparate emerging literatures. During our review, we discuss the existent research, describe the theoretical foundations of such work, and summarize key research findings and themes into a coherent social media framework relevant to HRM. Finally, we offer recommendations for future work that can enhance knowledge of social media’s impact in organizations.

The purpose of this paper is to identify best practice relating to the effective management of materials in an urban, confined construction site, using structural equation modelling.

A literature review, case study analysis and questionnaire survey are used, with the results scrutinised using confirmatory factor analysis in the form of structural equation modelling.

The following are the leading strategies in the management of materials in a confined urban site environment: consult and review the project programme, effective communication and delivery, implement site safety management plans and proactive spatial monitoring and control.

With the relentless expansion of urban centres and the increasing high cost of materials, any potential savings made on-site would translate into significant monetary concessions on completion of a project.

As on-site project management professionals successfully identify and implement the various strategies in the management of plant and materials on a confined urban site, successful resource management in this restrictive environment is attainable.

The Twentieth Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health, Sir Arthur MacNalty, for the year 1938, begins with a review of the nature of progress and the application of the conception to questions of health. Life in primitive society is not so healthy as is sometimes supposed, and the true condition is cloaked by the law of survival of the fittest. Civilisation has its cost; certain diseases follow in its train, e.g., tuberculosis. Besides the “new humanity” of the eighteenth century improvements in public health began to appear, and the population increased rapidly. Then came the progress of the Industrial Revolution, accompanied by new problems, especially in the domain of health. It can be concluded, however, that the growth of the health services, and the proof of their effectiveness as shown by the improvement of the nation's vital statistics, is real evidence of progress. In 1938 there was a rise of 10,647 births over the number registered in 1937, representing a birth rate of 15·1 per 1,000 living—a slight improvement on the rate of 14·9 for 1937. It is 0·7 above the rate for 1933, which was the lowest recorded. The infant mortality rate is 53 per 1,000 births as against 58 for 1937, and is now the lowest on record. The deaths in 1938 were 478,829, as compared with 509,574 in 1937, a decrease of 30,745. The five principal killing diseases remain the same as for many years past and occur in the same order, viz.:— (1) Diseases of the heart and circulatory system; (2) cancer—malignant disease; (3) bronchitis, pneumonia and other respiratory diseases; (4) diseases of the nervous system; (5) all forms of tuberculosis. If, however, the diseases are re‐arranged to show the principal killing diseases operating during the years of working life—15–65—then tuberculosis takes the third place instead of the fifth, and diseases of the nervous system occupy the fifth place.

This bibliography is offered as a practical guide to published papers, conference proceedings papers and theses/dissertations on the finite element (FE) and boundary element (BE) applications in different fields of biomechanics between 1976 and 1991. The aim of this paper is to help the users of FE and BE techniques to get better value from a large collection of papers on the subjects. Categories in biomechanics included in this survey are: orthopaedic mechanics, dental mechanics, cardiovascular mechanics, soft tissue mechanics, biological flow, impact injury, and other fields of applications. More than 900 references are listed.