Theo Haupt

THE POTENTIAL OF 4D CAD AS A TOOL FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

The combination of the graphic potential of 3D CAD with the construction project schedule is known as 4D CAD. Since 4D CAD technology links the time-related and physical aspects of a construction project it presents opportunities for use as a tool for construction management. Design and construction planning alternatives and decisions can be evaluated, optimised and justified within the context of space and time. The technology provides the means to integrate the functions, roles, responsibilities and relationships of, and between, all participants in the construction process. This process is examined. Problems that need to be overcome to make 4D CAD more attractive for construction management are also explored.

Women‐owned construction enterprises: a South African assessment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on the findings of a needs assessment study of South African women‐owned enterprises in construction. The study was done in preparation for the rolling out of an empowerment initiative country‐wide in South Africa, building on the lessons learnt and recommendations from the current and previous studies.Design/methodology/approach – An extensive review of relevant literature was used to develop a survey instrument and guide the stakeholder workshops to establish the needs of women‐owned contractors in South Africa.Findings – The study found that fair procurement processes, women‐friendly construction sites, a construction bank and relevant career‐aligned training with mentoring were enablers to transform existing enterprises to multi‐skilled independent entities able to participate in the mainstream construction sector and register in the higher grades of the CIDB Register of Contractors.Research limitations/implications – Findings are based on views from re...

Industry and Academia Perceptions of Construction Management Education: the Case of South Africa

Abstract Studies on the identification of necessary skills and attributes for construction management graduates present mixed findings, with industry (employers) representatives suggesting that education and training offered at universities of technology do not always address the needs of industry, whereas academia contends that construction management graduates are adequately prepared for industry. This paper reports on the findings of research which investigated the perceptions of industry and academia regarding the calibre of construction management graduates. Using a data triangulation and a KAP (Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions) approach, information was collected from a survey of 30 academics and 60 industry respondents. The findings indicate that “Trust and Honesty” was reported by both academia and industry as the most important skill and attribute for construction management graduates. “Acceptance of Responsibility” and “Problem Solving Skills” were second and third in importance for industry, whereas academia rated “Planning, Scheduling and Controlling Construction Operations and Activities” and “Numeracy”. Least important were “Ability to Conduct Research” and “Marketing Skills”. The findings suggest that there are significant differences between what industry and academia perceive as relevant and important regarding skills and desirable attributes. In order to narrow the gap, a meeting of the minds and inclusion of the experiential learning component of the co-operative education programmes is required.

Student perceptions of the first year civil engineering course content

The cooperative education model adopted by Universities of Technology in South Africa embodies the notion that both education and training are equally essential. It incorporates productive work into the curriculum as a regular and integral element of a higher education course. The present model involves three cooperative partners namely, the university, student and employer. It should, therefore, be evident that cooperative education has two main components, namely an academic component and an experiential learning component, both of which are integral to its success. To enable students to understand the relationship between academic subjects and the world of work, cooperative education involves restructuring the educational experience. For some time, industry employer representatives have suggested that education and training offered at Universities of Technology do not always address the needs of industry. They argue that graduates lack the necessary theoretical skills, training and managerial understanding to ensure immediate meaningful employment. These inadequacies contribute to unemployment and the lack of advancement opportunity within their chosen careers. In addition, there is a need to examine the perceptions of students regarding course content before they go into industry. This was the motivation for this research. The aims of the research project are twofold. Firstly, to examine the course content offered within the civil engineering diploma programme, and secondly to measure the levels of subject satisfaction. Using an exploratory approach through a survey of 123 students, this study explores the course content and satisfaction levels based on study areas in the first year program. The results indicate that students generally perceive the subject Communication Skills to be least satisfying whereas Mathematics is considered to be the most satisfying subject. This paper concludes by presenting the subject satisfaction index tool which contributes to the range of intervention strategies as envisaged by the CIDB. This further contributes towards the improvement of the overall quality of University of Technology civil engineering academic programs and also the subsequent productive employability of its graduates.

Investigating the true costs of construction accidents

Purpose The construction industry contributes significantly to national economic growth and offers substantial opportunities for job creation; however, the industry has continually been plagued by workplace accidents. Moreover, employers may not realize the economic magnitude of workplace injury and ill health arising from construction activities. These accidents represent a considerable economic and social burden to employers, employees and to the society as a whole. Despite governments and organisations worldwide maintaining an ongoing commitment towards establishing a working environment free of injury and disease, a great deal of construction accidents continues to frequent our society. The purpose of this study is to conduct an analysis of a sample of 100 construction accident reports to establish, as far as practically reasonable, the total costs of limited types of construction accidents. Costs attributable to each of these accidents were classified either as direct or indirect costs. Through an exhaustive and time-consuming investigation of all available records from various sources and/or kept in various departments, the individual costs were correlated to the various direct and indirect categories. Design/methodology/approach This particular study is a combination of explanatory and collective case study approaches, whereby causal effects are determined or a course of events is examined from multiple cases. The preferred form of data collection is left to the researcher to decide (Yin, 2003). When a researcher is considering “how” or “why” questions, a contemporary set of events using primary and secondary documents, over which the researcher has little or no control, the case study approach is feasible (Yin, 2009). Findings The costs of construction accidents for the same sample of 100 construction analysed in this study has been estimated at a staggering R32,981,200. Of this total, R10,087,350 has been attributed to direct costs and R22,893,850 has been attributed to indirect costs. The costs of construction accidents are based on four cost components: sick pay, administrative costs, recruitment costs and compensation and insurance costs. It should be noted that the estimates of the costs to employers presented in this study are reflective of the activities and incidents of the reviewed organisation and may not necessarily represent another organisation. The costs of construction accidents values presented in this study reveal that construction accidents present a substantial cost to employers and to the society at large, inclusive of both the direct and indirect costs. It is therefore in the best interest of the employer to identify progressive and advanced approaches to more effectively manage construction health and safety, consequently society at large will benefit tremendously. Originality/value Given the high rate of construction accidents experienced, employers are not entirely mindful of the actual costs of construction accidents, especially when considering the hidden or indirect costs of accidents. Various safety research efforts have attempted to quantify the true costs of worker injuries; however, localised systematic information on cost of construction accidents at work is not readily available from administrative statistical data sources; therefore, this study was carried out to estimate the costs, like lost workdays or lost income, are clearly visible and can readily be expressed in monetary value; for a large part,0 however, economic consequences of accidents are somewhat hidden.

Modelling critical success factors of construction project management (CPM)

The purpose of this paper is to model the critical success factors of construction project management (CPM). Despite the emergence of construction project management as an academic discipline, existing instrument found in literature were for measuring the importance of Construction Managers and Project Managers skills or attributes yet the combined dual role of Construction Project Management as a discipline or profession remains under researched. After collecting 58 empirical observations from within the South African construction related organisations, the paper tests the theoretical relationships by using the structural equation modelling (SEM) technique. The research identifies six factors which are critical for the effectiveness of CPM. The study also highlights the benefits of modelling the factors using tradition methods such as bivariate correlation and multiple regression analysis techniques to extract factors of CPM. The results indicate that correlation between the “hard” and “soft” skills is necessary for the effective implementation of Construction Project Management. The proposed theoretical model not only has the potential to enhance competitive success but can act as a valuable diagnostic tool in addressing the effectiveness of construction project management.