Samad M. E. Sepasgozar

Conceptualising information and equipment technology adoption in construction

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a critical review of research in information and equipment technology adoption in the construction industry. The study also aims to formulate a conceptual framework of the different stages in the adoption process identify gaps in the existing literature and to provide a holistic picture of contemporary research in technology adoption in construction research literature. Design/methodology/approach – A generic framework is initially proposed containing the fundamental concepts of “pre-adoption”, “adoption” and “post-adoption”. The review separates the literature according to three key perspectives: “socio-economic”; “managerial”; and “psychological”. The applicability of the existing approaches to the construction context is discussed, and then a new conceptual framework for construction is developed. Findings – Significant gaps in the understanding of construction technology adoption are identified that provide an interesting agenda for future research. A ...

Utilisation of a New Terrestrial Scanner for Reconstruction of As-Built Models: A Comparative Study

Recent studies show a great potential of improving construction productivity through using real-time applications to measure change orders and other objects to create as-built. As an enhancement to this promising concept, this paper presents the process of implementation of an efficient framework for as-built Building Information Modelling (BIM) using a new Scan Station that enables contractors to acquire accurate data and create and update the asbuilt models. A novel framework designed and assisted in the conversion of the raw 3D point cloud data from a laser scanner positioned at multiple locations of a facility into a compact and semantically rich model. The result of the study was compared with two other as-built models using mobile and terrestrial lidar scanners to understand the capability of each for building information modelling. It was found that the framework using the new Scan Station has a great potential to collect accurate data that can be transferred to BIM for creating as-built models. The results show that the accuracy of fine objects’ dimensions varies from -2% to +2%. The comparison of the test results with our previous experiments using different scanners shows that every scanner has its own advantage for each job in construction.

Implementation of Rapid As-built Building Information Modeling Using Mobile LiDAR

The need for development of reliable and efficient real-time data acquisition systems has recently attracted a great deal of attention in the construction industry, basically due to the demands for highly frequent updates in most visualization, optimization and coordination-related applications. The predominant data that has been used in the construction industry so far is rather less accurate. Moreover, the conventional methods of data acquisition are based on fieldwork that is timeconsuming, expensive and labour-intensive. Accuracy of original data and efficiency of data acquisition could be enhanced using new lidar technologies. Lidar is the advanced remote sensing technology that is able to provide 3D data with centimetre to millimetre level accuracy effectively and efficiently. However, the implementation of 3D data for accurate as-built creation is still challenging especially for openings and fine details of the construction objects in an indoor environment. This paper presents a framework for rapid as-built modelling using 3D point cloud data captured by a handheld lidar. The procedure involves five key stages from data capturing to create a final model. This paper reports the implementation of the framework using the state-of-the-art mobile lidar to analyse fine details of a sample building. Lidar data of a sample building in an indoor environment is captured using a mobile laser scanner and is analysed after registration and segmentation processes. The reconstructed model using the as-built data is compared with the existing 2D AutoCAD plans of the sample building and the traditional measurements in order to verify the accuracy of the proposed method. The results of this on-going study confirm that the proposed model development technique can serve as a reliable tool for accurate development of rapid as-built building models (rABM). The accuracy ranges from 5 to 30 mm, depending on the object size and position. The proposed algorithm was shown to be highly efficient in identifying the main visible components in the buildings. INTRODUCTION New technologies such as 3D laser scanners and building information modelling (BIM) offer great possibilities in the construction engineering area (Love et al. 2014; Porwal and Hewage 2013; Volk et al. 2014). Since the new technologies 209 Construction Research Congress 2014 ©ASCE 2014

Factors Influencing the Decision of Technology Adoption in Construction

History has shown that innovative new technologies are key contributors to improving productivity, quality and safety in construction. While the innovation process has been studied in the past, procedures that companies apply to make decisions have received little attention. This paper presents the initial results of an on-going study to understand the processes, sources of information and the critical success factors that companies depend on when buying new technologies. It presents a technology adoption model that is being validated using the results from an in-depth study of vendor strategies and visitor interviews from two equipment exhibitions in Australia. Vendors displayed an array of products ranging from spirit levels to large hydraulic excavators and applied various methods to attract customers to their booths. The presented analysis uses a wide range of measures used to categorize each vendor booth to include the nature of the product, the area occupied and type of information offered. As was expected, the analysis reveals heavy clusters of vendors applying similar strategies strongly influenced by the size of the vendor company and the technology. The data also supports the adoption model as the vendors make use of specific techniques to serve the needs of novices as well as better informed customers with the aim of establishing a relationship that extends beyond the exhibit.

An investigation of modern building equipment technology adoption in the Australian construction industry

Purpose Research into the construction industry’s adoption of modern equipment technologies, such as remote-controlled trucks, excavators and drones, has been neglected in comparison to the significant body of research into the adoption of information technology in construction. Construction research has also neglected to adequately consider the important role of vendors in the innovation diffusion process, focussing mostly on the role of the customer. Set within the context of Australia’s construction industry, the purpose of this paper is to address these gaps in knowledge by exploring the role of customers and vendors in the diffusion of modern equipment technologies into the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach Using contemporary models of innovation diffusion which move beyond the simple dualistic problem of whether innovation is supply-pushed or demand-pulled, 19 semi-structured interviews were undertaken with customers and vendors involved in two major modern equipment technology trade exhibitions in Australia. This was followed by the collection of documentary data in the form of photos, directory books, marketing material, catalogues, websites and booth and exhibition layouts to validate the proposed model and provide insights into vendor marketing strategies. These data were analysed using both content analysis and principal component analysis (PCA). Findings According to the PCA and content analysis, vendor’s engagement in the adoption of modern equipment technologies falls into three stages that correspond to three stages in the customer’s adoption process. In the first stage, customers identify possible solutions and recognise new technologies following a previous recognition of a need. Vendors provide facilities for attracting potential customers and letting customers know that their technology exists and can help solve the customer’s problem. The second stage involves customers gaining knowledge about the details of the new technology, and vendors focusing on detailed knowledge transfer through written materials and demonstrations of the functionality of the new technology. In the third stage, customers have specific questions that they want answered to assist them in comparing different vendors and solutions. By this stage, vendors have built a close relationship with the customer and in contrast to earlier stages engage in two-way communication to help the customer’s decision process by addressing specific technical and support-related questions. Originality/value The originality and value of this research is in addressing the lack of research in modern equipment technology adoption for building construction and the lack of data on the role of vendors in the process by developing a new empirical framework which describes the stages in the process and the ways that customers and vendors interact at each stage. The results indicate that conceptually, as the construction industry becomes more industrialised, current models of innovation adoption will need to develop to reflect this growing technological complexity and recognise that vendors and customers engage differently in the adoption process, according to the type of technology they wish to adopt.

The role of customers and vendors in modern construction equipment technology diffusion

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address the gap in knowledge by exploring the role of customers and vendors in diffusion of modern equipment technologies into the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach To address the need to consider both vendors and customers in the innovation diffusion process and the need for in-depth cross-sectional studies, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 147 participants including 85 vendors and 62 customers of modern construction technologies at company, project and operational levels in Australia and North America. Thematic analysis and an analytic hierarchy process illustrate the critical role of both customers and vendors in the diffusion process of modern equipment technologies. Findings A new conceptual model is presented which classifies modern equipment technology customers into four categories: visionaries (group I); innovators (group II); pragmatists (group III); and conservatives (group IV) based on the way in which they interact with vendors in the innovation diffusion process. The results also reveal that there is a significant emotional/affective aspect of innovation diffusion decisions which has not been recognised in previous research. Originality/value The major contribution of this study is that it analyses the role of both vendors and customers in the equipment technology diffusion process at three different levels (strategic, project and operational) in large corporations and small-to-medium-sized businesses. The findings not only advance construction innovation research beyond traditional linear models of innovation, but also provide new knowledge which enable customers and vendors to interact more effectively in the diffusion of new construction equipment technologies.

Diffusion Pattern Recognition of Technology Vendors in Construction

New technologies are increasingly offered by vendors in the construction industry. Several studies in the literature have examined information technology adoption at the individual level, and how administrative and process innovations are diffused through the industry. However, vendors’ diffusion strategies for tools, plant and equipment from an organisational perspective have received very little attention. This paper explores the different patterns of strategies that vendor organisations use to influence their customers in the decision process, understanding that the customer is not usually an individual in the organisation but a much larger group of people, many of whom will not come into direct contact with the vendor’s staff. Vendors offer solutions to construction companies and support the decision makers by providing relevant information. It would be very helpful to recognise whether there are patterns in vendors’ diffusion strategies. Identifying the patterns and the basis of these patterns, such as particular technology types, would help customers predict the vendors’ role in technology adoption at an organisational level rather than at an individual level. Data about the activities and means of product presentation of vendors at a technology exhibition provided the basis for classification, analysis and pattern recognition. The identified patterns were subsequently validated using data from a second exhibition. The finding of the fuzzy analysis resulted in clustering the vendors into five classes according to three groups of technologies each with unique characteristics of behaviour. The presented classification pattern contributes to understanding the supportive strategies used by vendors to influence the decision of potential users.

Prioritizing Best Value Contributing Factors for Contractor Selection: An AHP Approach

Construction procurement has evolved from low-bid system to Best Value (BV). This paper presents BV based contractor selection mechanism using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). BV process postulates the selection of contractor who can deliver the project in best possible way in terms of budget, quality, customer satisfaction and other success criteria. AHP is used to prioritize BV contributing factors (CFs) critical to contractor selection. This paper examines the CFs identified from literature published from 2000 to 2015 and provides the project owners a methodology of quantifying their relative effects in selecting BV contractor. The results indicate that past performance is the most significant among the 15 factors considered in contractor selection followed by cost. This is mainly due to resistance to change which encourages reputation-based procurement in construction industry blocking way for new entrants. This study helps value based contractor selection rather than the traditional low bid system. Further, it can be used by all stakeholders in a contract: client for BV contractor selection, contractor for BV supplier and consultant for BV team selection. The study can be enhanced in future to include all parties to a contract and ensure a win-win-win contracting model.

An Empirical Investigation on Construction Companies' Readiness for Adopting Sustainable Technology

New digital technology has the potential to decrease the environmental footprint of construction activities, while they increase the productivity and safety involved in major construction projects. Digital technologies such as web-based building information modelling (BIM) and sensing technology are emerging technology that can be widely employed in construction projects in developing countries. However, the construction industry tends to be slow in adopting new digital technology to meet their objectives in developing countries. This paper aims to investigate construction technology readiness for utilization of digital technology in construction projects and to identify the factors that can potentially facilitate construction stockholders’ application of digital technology. A questionnaire is designed, and an empirical investigation is conducted to collect data from construction companies including industrial and infrastructure construction companies. Regression analysis was utilized to analyze the data to measure the relations of latent factors through significance values using SPSS. The findings show the importance of a series of factors influencing construction stakeholders’ intention to use a new digital technology. Based on the extensive review on the relevant literature, few empirical studies have been conducted to examine the proposed constructs including innovativeness and optimism for emerging digital technology. The results are also expected to provide a guidance to broaden understanding of adoption behavior within this context and thereby increasing the chances for successful adoption of sustainable technology and develop activity-level.

Modelling the Construction Technology Implementation Framework: An Empirical Study

Implementation of new technology is often required when a company wants to improve productivity and enhance safety in construction. Many studies in the literature have focused on new technology applications in the construction industry and how it can improve productivity or solve a complex problem. However, the literature has overlooked how a construction company introduces new technology and especially what attributes and other considerations (e.g. spare parts and down time) affect the adoption decision. This paper presents a multi-stage framework for the implementation process following the construction company’s adoption decision. The aim of this paper is to understand how a company proceeds after the adoption decision in order to implement new technology. 35 participants from Australia and 63 participants from North America (i.e. the US, and Canada) were interviewed to investigate the process. Participants from both sides of the process (i.e. customers and vendors) were chosen in order to cross-validate the findings of each group using data triangulation methods. A systematic multi-stage framework consisting of three stages: “operation commence”, “maintenance set up”, and “assessment” was developed to describe the implementation processes of construction companies. Vendor activities that contribute to the process are also described.