Mohamed El-Gafy

Virtual Organizational Imitation for Construction Enterprises: Agent-Based Simulation Framework for Exploring Human and Organizational Implications in Construction Management

AbstractNumerous efforts have been made to investigate organizational and human implications in construction management. Despite the major contribution of these efforts, future research efforts should be able to capture complex interactions of social processes in the construction environment. This paper proposes the use of agent-based modeling (ABM) to study the interactions of organizational and human factors and their effects on construction performance. Literature was used to identify the main model components and inputs. A simulation model, virtual organizational imitation for construction enterprises (VOICE), was built to explore how construction performance emerges from microlevel construction processes and work-related behaviors. A case study was conducted to investigate several managerial scenarios. Results demonstrate the need to understand social and managerial effects on the performance of construction processes. Results were verified and validated against multifold sources. VOICE is expected t...

Suitability of life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) as asset management tools for institutional buildings

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the accuracy of life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) for institutional (higher education) buildings as a predictor of actual realised facility costs.Design/methodology/approach – Research methodology includes a comprehensive literature review to identify issues, best practices and implementation of LCCA in the construction industry. A case study was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of LCCA in predicting facility costs.Findings – Notwithstanding the benefits of LCCA, its adoption has been relatively slow for institutional buildings. The case study revealed that the average difference between estimated and actual construction cost is 37 per cent, whereas the average difference between the actual and estimated maintenance cost is 48 per cent. There is an average difference of 85 per cent in the actual and estimated administration cost.Research limitations/implications – While limited to a few buildings, the case study underscores that LCCA methods should not be...

Virtual organizational imitation for construction enterprises (VOICE): Managing business complexity using agent based modeling

Increasing performance pressure has forced modern construction enterprises to seek growth while dealing with inherent complexity of the construction business. Business complexity (fragmented business mode, organizational complexity, etc.) has been considered a major source of performance issues in the construction industry. Unfortunately, there has been no efficient way to estimate its effects on organizational or project performance. This paper proposes a simulation-based organizational analysis platform called “Virtual Organizational Imitation for Construction Enterprises” (VOICE) to assess and manage business complexity of construction enterprises. A series of Agent-Based Models (ABM) were built using Repast Simphony to explore the relationship between social behaviors, organizational factors, and emergent organizational and project performance. The platform allows decision makers to simulate individual social behaviors, organizational structures, and environmental aspects of construction enterprises. Initial findings show that these factors affect the final performance of construction enterprises to an extent. As a socio-technical system, business complexity should be understood, assessed, and managed well. Results indicate that VOICE is a reliable platform to capture patterns of business complexity.

Improving Predictability of Construction Project Outcomes through Intentional Management of Indirect Construction Costs

AbstractIndirect construction costs (IDCC) comprise from as little as 10 to 40% or more of the total cost of construction projects, in part depending on the type and nature of the project. Yet, any location in this range represents a significant component of total project costs, which justifies the need to better understand and develop effective practices to estimate, control, and manage IDCC. When IDCC practices are not afforded intentional management and appropriate resources, key project performance outcomes are affected. As its unique contribution to the body of knowledge, this paper operationally defines IDCC, outlines certain innovative IDCC practices, and identifies statistically significant relationships between key IDCC practices and project outcome metrics. Empirical recommendations are premised upon data collected through testimonials, structured interviews, and brainstorming sessions of an extensive set of construction industry professionals. Statistical findings are based upon data collected ...

Feasibility Analytical Mapping (FAM) for the Bidding Decision: A Graphic Bidding Decision Making Model Based on Multidimensional Scaling and Discriminant Analysis

This article examines the shortage of current bidding models and proposes a model called “Feasibility Analytical Mapping (FAM)” for the bidding decision. FAM provides decision makers with a graph-based analysis tool of potential bids. By using information visualization and supervised learning techniques, high dimensional historical bidding data can be transformed into a graphic representation called “Feasible Business Domain Map (FBDM).” Risk for potential bids can be judged using FBDM. FAM presents the analysis results in a visualized form that is objective, understandable and convincible. A hypothetical case is illustrated at the end of this paper to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed model.

Optimization of Change Order Management Process with Object-Oriented Discrete Event Simulation: Case Study

AbstractChange orders are common to most construction projects. They can significantly increase project cost and duration, leading to more claims and disputes and ultimately creating an adversarial relationship among project members. Evidence has shown that a contributing factor to the inefficiency of change order management is the management process utilized in most construction projects, which always relates to suboptimal allocation of resources and unnecessary procedures. Discrete event simulation (DES) provides an effective approach to streamline the change order management process by evaluating a series of improvement options. Based on a comparison of two prevailing DES paradigms, activity scanning (AS) and process interaction (PI), this paper presents an object-oriented DES model to investigate the change order management process. A case study has been performed to investigate the change order management process at a Midwestern land-grant university with the proposed simulation model, where the bott...

Industry practices for estimating, controlling and managing key indirect construction costs at the project level

A primary purpose of this on-going research sponsored by the Construction Industry Institute (CII) is to develop a strategic set of industry practices for estimation, control and management of indirect construction costs (IDCC) at the project level. Researchers conducted structured interviews with 56 subject matter experts to investigate and map widely adopted and novel practices, specifically addressing certain “key” groups of IDCC. The rich findings from these interviews have been aggregated into an instructional guidebook which includes empirical consideration checklists, comprehensive process flowcharts and practical tools. Eighty-nine percent of interviewees reported that project success can be improved through better handling of IDCC. This research seeks to fill this performance gap by enabling owners and contractor to easily adopt the recommended practices into standard operating procedures. To establish a shared vocabulary for IDCC, this paper summarizes literature pertaining to IDCC and proposes a two-part operational definition comprised of a lexical definition and a categorization framework. The findings are outlined from a contractor’s perspective and focus on costs most commonly incurred by construction companies at the project level. This paper presents a partial consideration checklist and a process flowchart for major construction equipment. Lastly, this paper describes the on-going validation methodology.

Investigation of Contemporary Performance Measurement Systems for Production Management of Renovation Projects

Renovation projects exhibit complex characteristics due to the presence of constraints that lead to cost and schedule overruns. Numerous researchers have concluded that the performance of renovation projects is typically lower than that of new construction projects. This paper discusses the initial phases of a research conducted at Michigan State University, which focused on developing a framework for production management of renovation projects. The emphasis of this paper is on the findings from literature review and interviews, pertinent to performance measurement in renovation projects that led to the framework development. However, the framework development and the framework itself have not been discussed. This paper primarily addresses two questions: (1) what are the complexities of renovation projects that lead to underperformance in cost, time, and quality? and (2) what are the limitations of state-of-the-art construction performance measurement systems for managing production in renovation projects? Interviews of 10 construction companies were conducted to identify current practices of production management in renovation projects. This research observed a lack of a formal production management process in renovation projects, with a limited use of performance measurement systems. The research identified essential attributes for avoiding schedule and cost overruns on renovation projects.

Selection of roof casting formwork systems for the bird island project: Case study

Formwork is a major contributor to profitability—or the lack of it—on most large and complex concrete jobs. Furthermore, formwork has major consequences for the project schedule, as well as all related trades, such as ironworkers and cement finishers. Consequently, selecting a formwork system and planning its field operations must consider the effects of the system on the overall project. However, due to competitive pressures and limited recourses, contractors seldom have the time to think through the construction phase specifics, and enter bids with carryover estimates adjusted for inflation. This may result in significant difficulties in meeting the project requirements. The paper illustrates the complexities involved in the selection and deployment of a formwork system through a study of the concrete formwork selection on the Bird Island Flats Tunnel project. This

Impact of I/D Contracts Used for Expediting Michigan’s Road Construction

290 million project was a part of the Central Artery/Tunnel project in Boston, Massachusetts. Because the conventional shoring methods coul...