Azeanita Suratkon

Safe commuting factors from existing guidelines in Malaysia: a review for the construction sector

The construction industry is a very active and dynamic industry, which proceeding as one of the significant industry that contributing to the country’s economy. Unfortunately, the construction industry has also earned the reputation of being the riskiest industry because of the higher rates of accidents and fatalities. Nevertheless, overwhelming focus by many on the accident in the workplace has shaded the alarming issue of the construction-related commuting accident. As reported by the Malaysia’s Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) in 2016, the number of commuting accidents and the compensations paid is increasing each year, and it is including the construction sector. Aware of the importance of safe commuting, several Malaysian agencies have developed their guidelines specifically for the improvement of such issue. Regrettably, the number of guidelines published does not exemplify the improvement of such issue when the number of commuting accidents is on the rise, especially for the construction sector. Therefore, this preliminary research was conducted to identify the safe commuting factors from the existing guidelines through manual document analysis. The finding shows that there are four (4) major categories namely; (1) driver/human factor, (2) vehicle factor, (3) environment factor, and (4) others. Hence, the research posits for subsequent exploration to ensure strategic implementation of those factors that will benefit the Malaysia’s construction sector.

INDICATORS FOR MEASURING SATISFACTION TOWARDS DESIGN QUALITY OF BUILDINGS

Design quality is an important component in measuring satisfaction towards total product quality (TPQ) of buildings, the product of construction projects. Design Quality Indicator (DQI), developed by the Construction Industry Council (CIC) in the UK looking at three quality fields, i.e. functionality, build quality, and impact of building in measuring the quality of design embodied in the buildings through feedback and perceptions of all stakeholders involved in the production and use of buildings. Design quality is always a major concern in the Malaysian construction industry. With inspiration from this DQI, this study was carried out to identify indicators for measuring the satisfaction towards design quality of buildings and to evaluate the suitability of the indicators for application in the context of Malaysian construction industry. Through literature survey, 32 indicators of design quality were identified and grouped into the three design quality fields. A questionnaire survey was carried out among Malaysian construction professionals (architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, contractors and developers) to assess the identified design quality indicators in terms of their relevance and significance in the context of construction industry in Malaysia. The survey reveals that access, natural lighting, access and use, structure element, landscape, finishes, location, external environment, urban and social integration and noise are among the design quality indicators that were perceived as the most important to be looked at. In overall, all the indicators are relevant for adoption in the Malaysian construction industry to measure the satisfaction towards design quality of buildings.

Developing a DMS (Dredged Marine Sediments) Management Framework for Beneficial Reuse in Artificial Land Creation

Great quantities of dredged marine soils (DMS) have been produced from the maintenance of channels depth, anchorages and for harbour development. Most of the DMS are disposed in the sea and land. DMS have the potential to pose ecological and human health risks and it is also considered as a geowaste. Malaysia is moving towards the sustainability approach and one of the key factors to achieve it is to reduce waste. Backfilling is the basic phase for every construction therefore it shows the importance of creating artificial land in this study. Thus, this geowaste should be generated as a new resource to substitute soil for civil works such as for artificial land creation. Moreover, there is no proper guideline for beneficial reuse of DMS in Malaysia. This paper proposes a preliminary framework for beneficial reuse of DMS in artificial land creation. The reuse of DMS requires an understanding of the managing procedure from retrieval of DMS to on-site application. The key components involved are transportation, storage and treatment of the material. Most existing guidelines only highlights on the treatment process of contaminants which affects human health and environment. Nevertheless, having a well-managed transportation system to transfer the DMS and pre-treating it if necessary to work as a soil for civil works are important as well. It is therefore necessary to develop a DMS Management Framework that enables a systematic guideline of reusing DMS for artificial land creation in Malaysia.

Strategic and adaptive knowledge-environment-technological (SAKET) management system for sustainable reuse of dredged marine soils

Dredging is the process of removing sediments from the seabed to deepen the waters for the safe navigation of vessels. The dislodged materials from the seabed, i.e. dredged marine soils, are generally disposed of as a geowaste. This paper examines the potential reuse of the dredged materials within a comprehensive framework of technological feasibility, environmental soundness and knowledge creation (SAKET management system). The existing multi-discipline knowledge base serves as a vast reservoir of good practices to be adopted and moulded into the proposed system. The environmental background and impact that are related to the reuse mechanism need to be thoroughly investigated and determined too. The background data enables an informed selection of relevant technology to be implemented in the reuse exercise of dredged marine soils, which could lead to technological integration and innovation for optimum outputs. The subsequent monitoring and reviews would then create new insights and understanding to enrich the existing knowledge base, i.e. a full circle return. The proposed SAKET framework aims to provide a handling and management system of dredged marine soils which is simultaneously proactive and responsive, while being sufficiently flexible and predictive to ensure effective operational outputs with efficient utilization of the resources available. In short, the framework would embrace existing know-how in the folds of technological advances and innovations to develop an all-encompassing management system for reusing the dredged marine soils in a responsible manner for long term benefits.