Yasemin Nielsen

Quantification of Delay Factors Using the Relative Importance Index Method for Construction Projects in Turkey

AbstractConstruction delays are common in construction industry and create major concerns for project performance. Construction delays are caused by many factors. The aim of this paper is to identify delay factors on construction projects and analyze these factors with the relative importance index method. For this purpose, 83 different delay factors were identified, categorized into nine major groups, and visualized by the Ishikawa (fishbone) diagram through detailed literature review and interviews with experts from the construction industry. The relative importances of these delay factors were quantified by the relative importance index method. The ranking of the factors and groups were demonstrated according to their importance level on delay. According to the case study results, the factors and groups contributing the most to delays (those needing attention) were discussed, and some recommendations were made to minimize and control delays in construction projects.

Fuzzy Assessment Model to Estimate the Probability of Delay in Turkish Construction Projects

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to propose a decision support tool for contractors before the bidding stage to quantify the probability of delay in construction projects in Turkey by using the relative importance index (RII) method incorporated into fuzzy logic. For this purpose, 83 delay factors were identified, categorized into 9 major groups through a detailed literature review process as well as interviews with experts from the construction industry. The relative importance of these delay factors and groups was quantified by using the relative importance index method. The ranking of the factors and groups was demonstrated according to their level of effect on delay. A delay assessment model was proposed using the fuzzy set theory by taking into account the delay factors characterized in construction projects. The assessment model was developed using a commercial software product. The proposed methodology was tested in a real case study; and the probability of the delay of the project was evaluated by...

Lean Construction Conformance among Construction Contractors in Turkey

Lean construction is the term that corresponds to the reflection of the production system developed at the Toyota Corporation (automotive industry) on the construction industry. Turkish contractors constitute a large portion of the local economy and are important global actors in contracting business. Lean construction-based research and practice, as a production management-based approach for in- creasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the construction industry, are scarce among Turkish contractors. This paper presents the results of a questionnaire prepared to predict the lean conformance levels of Turkish contractors and discusses the results. The comparative strengths and weaknesses of Turkish contractors for a lean construction initiative are highlighted. The findings that are presented in this paper can be used as a starting point to disseminate the research and practice in lean construction among Turkish contractors in the future. A similar kind of research can be repeated to compare the lean conformance levels in different countries and to evaluate the lean construction programs at different companies after the introduction of lean construction. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000145.

Collaboration Environments for Construction: Management of Organizational Changes

AbstractThe implementation of a new collaboration environment initiates many changes to an organization and to the end users as a result of the new way of working and the use of new technologies. Unless these changes are well managed at the organizational level, it will not be possible to achieve the full benefits expected from the implementation of the collaboration environment. This paper presents a framework for managing the organizational changes brought into construction organizations by the introduction of a new collaboration environment. The framework consists of five primary stages: initiation of change, development of change vision, planning of organizational change, implementation of change, and evaluation of change. The processes for each stage are detailed in integrated definition function modeling diagrams. The evaluators in construction organizations have found the framework to be successful in managing organizational changes.

The application of the environmental management system at the aluminum industry in UAE

Aluminum is the third most abundant element, after oxygen and silicon, and the most abundant metal in Earth’s crust. It is widely used in buildings, construction, transport, packaging and general engineering due to its corrosion resistance, durability, insulation capability, structural strength and low-weight, making it the metal of the future. Aluminum is widely used in all UAE construction related projects; however, the sustainability and environmental performance of the aluminum production process is questionable. The production of this metal is associated with many environmental impacts which compromise the sustainable production of aluminum. Aluminum manufacturing is an energy intensive industry and a major contributor to Greenhouse Gases such as CO2, CFC, and PFC. This industry generates huge amounts of waste such as the Bauxite Residue from the Alumina Refinery process and the Spent Pot-Lining (SPL) from the Smelting process. One of the sustainable solutions is to create a sustainable metal whilst also making a positive net impact on the environment over the life cycle of aluminum products. This solution suits UAE because the aluminum industry is on upstream production, with less emphasis on the use of recycling and secondary aluminum production. As an effective tool to control environmental impacts and improve the environmental performance of any production industry, Environment Management System (EMS) is further studied with regards to the aluminum production process. This research investigates the efficiency of the EMS at UAE aluminum production industry to determine its ability to control the industry’s impact, and to attain sustainability standards. The aim of this research is to evaluate the efficiency of the existing EMS and to identify the factors affecting implementation of EMS in the UAE aluminum production. The implementation of EMS in the UAE aluminium industry is heavily affected by regulatory compliance and enforcement gap, transparent leadership, accountability, and human factors.

EVALUATION OF SAFETY ENGINEERING SYSTEM IN OIL AND GAS CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN UAE

Risk assessment is one of the most critical tools used in the safety engineering system in oil and gas construction projects due to it providing the required protection for the construction activities such as pilling, materials fabrication, and structure installation. The main purpose of risk assessment tool is to provide full protection to the four main elements that are crucial to the oil industry: People, Environment, Assets and Reputation (PEAR). The failure or defect in the risk assessment implementation in the construction stage can potentially lead to catastrophes in the advanced stages such as operation and productions. In oil and gas construction projects many historical oil spill and blow outs occurred due to a lack of efficient risk assessment in the construction phase, resulting in financial and human life losses. There are various factors that contribute to the implementation problem in the construction phase, thus, different aspects should be analyzed in the risk assessment structures to determine how the system is very closely linked. Through data analysis, it is evident that the weakness in the implementation can be related to inadequate policy and framework of the risk assessment. Organizational culture affecting employee safety behavior is another contributing reason for faulty implementation. Many scholars try to analyze the implementation problem in the oil and gas sector, along with other heavy industries, through risk regulations, risk planning and human error. This research exposes the defects and challenges in the risk assessment tool in oil and gas construction projects in UAE through a questionnaire survey. The research shows a gap in the understanding and practice of the risk assessment tool between management and operation, especially in the behavioral effects.

An innovative integrated framework towards effective collaboration environments in construction

The research reported in this paper was aimed at exploring the introduction of IT enabled collaboration environments to construction organisations and managing the changes required to obtain full benefits. The paper firstly presents the results of a literature review on the factors affecting the success of collaboration environment implementations. Secondly, it summarises the results of case studies providing the perspectives of the construction organisations on the implementation of collaboration environments. It then presents the implementation of collaboration environments and management of organisational changes (ICEMOCHA) framework developed to enable the planning and implementation of collaboration environments on construction projects whilst carrying out the organisational changes in each organisation. The paper also provides the evaluation results of the ICEMOCHA framework.

Integration of visualisation and mobile technologies in construction

This paper provides an overview of wireless technologies, communication mechanisms, research and development in the field, and reviews the advantages that mobile IT provides to collaborative engineering and construction activities. It then discusses visualisation, research and practical applications developed for different construction problems. The possibility for a communication system transferring visual data using mobile technologies is explored and three scenarios are suggested. Finally, as a case study, the applicability of the proposed scenarios to the Turkish construction industry is investigated. Conclusions are then drawn on the benefits of integrating visualisation and mobile communication technologies in the construction industry.