Alistair G.F. Gibb

Standardization and pre-assembly- distinguishing myth from reality using case study research

Standardization and pre-assembly (S&P) are not new, but their application and their drivers, pragmatism and perception, need to be considered in the light of current technology and management practice. There are lessons to be learned from a historical review, but there are also numerous myths that must be dispelled: houses are not cars; maximum standardization is not always the answer; and, S&P do not have to cost more. Steven Groák worked with the author on the research project ‘Adding value to construction projects through standardisation and pre-assembly’ funded by CIRIA (Construction Industry Research and Information Association). The CIRIA project, which forms the basis of this paper, aimed to produce a review of the subject and guidance for clients and project teams through a comprehensive literature review, expert work5 shops and case study research. The paper defines S&P, discusses past, present and future applications (providing case study evidence) and presents the key benefits and implications of the optimized use of standardization and pre-assembly.

Benefit evaluation for off‐site production in construction

Evaluating to what extent a component or building system should be produced off‐site is inadequate within the industry. The potential benefits of off‐site production (OSP) are commonly cited when justifying an OSP approach, yet holistic and methodical assessments of the applicability and overall benefit of these solutions, to a particular project, have been found to be deficient. Common methods of evaluation simply take material, labour and transportation costs into account when comparing various options, often disregarding other cost‐related items such as site facilities, crane use and rectification of works. These cost factors are usually buried within the nebulous preliminaries figure, with little reference to the building approach taken. Further, softer issues such as health and safety, effects on management and process benefits are either implicit or disregarded within these comparison exercises. Yet it is demonstrated that these issues are some of the most significant benefits of OSP. A series of case studies demonstrated that evaluation focus is almost solely on direct material and labour costs of components, without explicit regard for the wider cost or soft issue implications of OSP on a project. The paper argues that until evaluation is more holistic and value‐based rather than cost‐based, OSP uptake in construction will be slow.

Strategies for Integrating the Use of Off-Site Production Technologies in House Building

Despite extensive research into attitudes and practice surrounding the uptake of off-site production technologies, there is limited understanding of how best to integrate their use into business processes at the organizational level. Drawing on an action-research case study with a leading U.K. house-building organization, this paper scrutinizes the processes through which off-site technologies were adopted and utilized. The use of off-site methods was fundamentally framed by the key stages and business milestone reviews of the house-building process, which together represented a complex and multilayered structure of business management. Five off-site reviews were aligned with the business processes. Strategies for integrating the use of off-site technologies are examined. It was crucial to establish an overall off-site strategy and integrate it into the process from land acquisition on. Organizational learning embraced the adoption of off-site methods, whereas extra reporting and management efforts introduced bureaucracy. Culture change was commonly perceived as difficult and painful. Earlier engagement with supply chains was advocated for favoring the off-site approach and improving business efficiency, whereas it also demanded greater commitment of the house builder to specific supply chains and therefore exposed the business to risks associated with planning and market changes. The strategies should facilitate building companies’ strategic management of off-site technology.

Constraints to the use of off-site production on construction projects

Abstract Off-site production (OSP) has been promoted as one of the solutions to the industrys performance problems. Numerous works have demonstrated the possible benefits of adopting such approaches to construction projects, yet uptake has been slow. Addressing these concerns, a series of factors were identified that affect the use of OSP within construction projects. From these factors a pattern emerged in which some factors drove OSP adoption, whereas others constrained its implementation. These constraints were investigated further using a questionnaire survey that was sent to all major stakeholders, ranging from clients through to end manufacturers. The extent to which the constraints inhibit the use of OSP were ascertained, scored and ranked. Four broad constraint themes emerged from the findings, namely process, value, supply-chain and knowledge constraints. A model illustrating the relationship between the four themes provides further insight into the constraints to OSP uptake. The authors further suggest that a broader understanding of the constraints is required, arguing that although OSP can contribute to change in the industry, it itself depends on change in order to be widely adopted.

Establishing and Weighting Decision Criteria for Building System Selection in Housing Construction

A lack of value-based decision criteria leads to an inability to effectively compare prefabrication and off-site production with conventional construction, which inhibits the realization of benefits of off-site approaches. This paper develops value-based decision criteria and quantifies their relative importance for assessing building technologies systematically. The research employed a multimethodological strategy within a broad case-study-based design, with six large house-building organizations in the United Kingdom. These companies together accounted for more than one-tenth of new-build home completions in the United Kingdom. More than 50 criteria were developed, grouped under cost, time, quality, health and safety, sustainability, process, procurement, and regulatory and statutory acceptance. Cost was ranked most important, which, coupled with time and quality, predominated technology selection in these companies. Sustainability, process, and procurement were weighted lower, whereas health and safety and regulatory and statutory acceptance were deemed compulsory, hence offering no trade-off opportunity. A lack of incorporating innovative sustainable technology into corporate strategy was observed. The developed criteria and the systematic process should help house-building organizations manage technological innovation and hopefully achieve more informed corporate decisions.

Analysis of construction accidents in Spain, 2003-2008.

INTRODUCTION The research objective for this paper is to obtain a new extended and updated insight to the likely causes of construction accidents in Spain, in order to identify suitable mitigating actions. METHOD The paper analyzes all construction sector accidents in Spain between 2003 and 2008. Ten variables were chosen and the influence of each variable is evaluated with respect to the severity of the accident. The descriptive analysis is based on a total of 1,163,178 accidents. RESULTS Results showed that the severity of accidents was related to variables including age, CNAE (National Classification of Economic Activities) code, size of company, length of service, location of accident, day of the week, days of absence, deviation, injury, and climatic zones. CONCLUSIONS According to data analyzed, a large company is not always necessarily safer than a small company in the aspect of fatal accidents, experienced workers do not have the best accident fatality rates, and accidents occurring away from the usual workplace had more severe consequences. IMPACT ON THE INDUSTRY Results obtained in this paper can be used by companies in their occupational safety strategies, and in their safety training programs.

Health and safety management in developing countries: a study of construction SMEs in Ghana

The construction industry plays a significant role in the economy of developing countries. The sector is, however, also one of the most hazardous with frequent accidents and health‐related problems. The health and safety practices of construction small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana are examined with a view to improving the health and safety performance of the sector. A survey questionnaire was administered to owner/managers of SMEs, with a response rate of 32% of the sampling frame. Few of the SMEs adopted proactive health and safety practices. However, health and safety practices identified as being particularly associated with firm characteristics were: accident investigation procedures; accident reporting procedures; use of health and safety posters; documentation of method statements; and health and safety inductions. The diversity of health and safety practices associated with different size categories of SMEs and constraints to improving health and safety are highlighted. A positive change is needed in the attitudes of owner/managers which takes into account size‐related constraints in order to improve the health and safety performance of Ghanaian SMEs.

The quality of accident and health data in the construction industry: interviews with senior managers

Despite recent changes in legislation and advances towards an integrated project-wide approach, health and safety management in the construction industry is still a major problem, involving a substantial cost to business, society and individuals. A prerequisite to improving the situation and developing an effective management strategy is monitoring, providing a detailed understanding of the effectiveness of different approaches to intervention. This paper describes a feasibility study using in-depth interviews with senior managers to explore the quality of accident and health data of nine large, high profile companies from the engineering construction sector. The interview dialogue comprised a series of questions and issues to be explored on the organizations accident reporting systems (e.g. what is reported, analysis performed, computerization), unsafe act and near miss auditing (e.g. definition, validity), failure type indicators (e.g. auditing, quantification) and safety culture indicators (e.g. commitment, health). Although safety was a priority for companies, health (i.e. medicals and monitoring systems) had not been given the same consideration, especially with regard to subcontracted labour. This study shows that the validity of accident statistics as a measure of safety remains a limitation, and that there is a requirement for a consistent and integrated approach to the measurement of health and safety performance.

Health and Safety Management within Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Developing Countries: Study of Contextual Influences

Considerable attention has been focused on addressing construction health and safety risks in developed economies. Sadly, the same cannot be said of developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa where accident figures are extremely high. The aim of this study is to examine the influence of the contextual environment within which Ghanaian construction small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) manage occupational health and safety (OH&S). A questionnaire survey was administered to construction SMEs to better understand the health and safety management practices and associated problems followed up by field interviews to explore key issues identified by the survey. The results of the study highlight the institutional structure for implementing OH&S standards, prevailing economic climate, and extended family culture as challenges to the management of OH&S. The study identifies low literacy levels, low socioeconomic status of workers, owner/managers’ ignorance of their OH&S responsibilities, commitment to extende...

Development of a Viable Concrete Printing Process

A novel Concrete Printing process has been developed, inspired and informed by advances in 3D printing, which has the potential to produce highly customised building components. Whilst still in their infancy, these technologies could create a new era of architecture that is better adapted to the environment and integrated with engineering function. This paper describes the development of a viable concrete printing process with a practical example in designing and manufacturing a concrete component (called Wonder Bench) that includes service voids and reinforcement. The challenges met and those still to be overcome particularly in the evaluation of the manufacturing tolerances of prints are also discussed.