Construction Delays in Hong Kong Civil Engineering Projects

Construction delays are common in civil engineering projects in Hong Kong, inevitably resulting in contractual claims and increased project cost. This study was aimed, first, at gathering the perceptions of civil construction practitioners on how significant are the causes of delay; and, second, investigating whether the suggestions as stated in the report of the Construction Industry Review Committee (the Committee comprises members with good standing and knowledge in the construction and related fields as well as those from other professions who are responsible for examining the current state of the construction industry in terms of its output quantity, the quality of work, its environmental friendliness, site safety, its workforce and the system of supervision) are applicable to and effective at mitigating the corresponding delays with reference to a ranking order established using the mean score method. The extent of the differences in perception among the different respondent groups on these two issues was also examined using the rank agreement factor (RAF), percentage agreement (PA), and percentage disagreement (PD). The differences in the perceptions of the respondents on the significance of delays and the actual causes of delays for the six projects studied were also examined. The results of the study showed that the respondents tended to admit their own faults as shown in the top ten significant causes of delay. A strong consensus was found between the client and consultant groups on the significance of the various causes of delay (PA = 74%) and the effectiveness of mitigation measures (PA = 67%) compared with the other pairs of groups. The consultant and contractor groups held extremely different perceptions regarding the significance of various delay causes (RAF = 4.9 and PD = 32%) and the effectiveness of corresponding mitigation measures (RAF = 6.2 and PD = 47%). It is believed that the findings can provide much more insight for the construction practitioners as well as the researchers and thus help to improve the productivity and overall performance of civil construction projects in Hong Kong.     

Concessionaire Selection for Build-Operate-Transfer Tunnel Projects in Hong Kong

A significant realignment of risks between project participants is a fundamental facet of the new procurement paradigm of BOT (build-operate-transfer). A BOT concessionaire assumes far more and deeper risks than a contractor. One critical contributor to the success of a BOT project is the selection of an appropriate concessionaire who has the necessary capacity to provide the best overall deal throughout the build-operate-transfer process. However, various BOT-type procurement protocols are not yet proven and are still being tried and tested. Many countries are at the lower ends of their learning curves. Therefore, there is a need to benchmark the best practices that have been emerging. The Hong Kong government has developed a well-structured concessionaire selection framework supported by the Kepner-Tregoe decision analysis technique. This paper analyzes and draws experiences and lessons from this concessionaire selection practice. Current concessionaire selection practices worldwide are also discussed with a view to improve the procurement process of regions lacking in such experiences or expertise.     

Perception of Financial Institutions toward Financing PFI Projects in Hong Kong

Private finance initiative (PFI) has emerged to be a viable strategy for governments to transfer financial risks in public projects to the private sector. It does not only help tap the efficiency and finances of the private sector but it also promises to deliver better public services to the community. Despite these obvious incentives, there is still a low PFI diffusion in Hong Kong. Based on this understanding, we have undertaken this exploratory study, which is probably the first of its kind, to investigate the PFI’s financial issues from the perspective of financial suppliers. This study was intended to identify factors that may affect the perception of the supplier side and to explore ways to facilitate their participation in PFI projects. The findings suggest that respondents had low level of understanding and knowledge of the PFI and they perceived that PFI public projects had an average risk and performance. To increase their involvement, several enablers are provided in this paper.     

香港职业训练局师资队伍建设经验分析

通过分析香港职业训练局的管理理念、管理架构和管理制度,发现他们在师资招聘、教师培养、教师考核和师资发展几个环节上都采取了有力的措施,有效地保障了师资队伍建设。第一,提高招聘起点,不招刚毕业的大学生,只招有经验的"大师傅",从根本上来破解"双师型"师资队伍建设难题;第二,设置教学中心,开展教学技能培训,迅速地提高了新教师的教学能力,提供长期的支援服务,不断提升全体教师的教学水平;第三,施行绩效管理,加强管理层与教师之间的密切沟通,客观地评价教师的工作表现,确保战略目标的落实;第四,实施持续发展计划,鼓励教师外出学习和实习,保持与社会的广泛联系和同步发展。     

港台家校合作经验对内地的启发意义

教育部等部委联合颁布一系列法律,大力倡导组织家长委员会和开展家庭教育.我国也应借鉴港台经验,完善家长委员会,促进其良性发展.     

Contributors to Construction Debris from Electrical and Mechanical Work in Hong Kong Infrastructure Projects

The crucial problem of construction debris is of increasing concern in Hong Kong. In the construction industry, the electrical and mechanical (E&M) installations in the infrastructure, for example, buildings, tunnels, or dams, are some of the major and usually complex components. Difficulty in coordinating the various trades affects productivity in general, and has a major impact on the quantity of construction debris. By identifying the sources of waste at each stage of E&M engineering work, some of the construction debris can be eliminated at the source during production. This paper investigates the critical production shortcomings in the E&M sector in Hong Kong. The study is based on a survey that includes a preliminary questionnaire survey, brainstorming exercises with a focus group, structured interviews with experienced frontline supervisors, and a second focus group exercise to test findings and proposed measures. The principal findings are that “poor coordination” and “design changes and/or errors” are major contributors to variations or change orders and rework, which in turn result in a high volume of construction debris. The results also indicate that construction debris can be minimized in the E&M sector of the construction industry, if the material wastes from incidental work are reduced and also controlled better in a new work process flow pattern through recommended construction project management improvements for reducing critical production shortcomings.     

BOT Viability Model for Large-Scale Infrastructure Projects

The key to a successful implementation of a build-operate-transfer (BOT) infrastructure project is in-depth analysis of all aspects related to economic, environmental, social, political, legal, and financial feasibility of the project. For these reasons, the analysis of the project feasibility decision needs a technique to include the qualitative decision factors that have a strong impact on the project. This paper aims to introduce a decomposed evaluation model developed to assess the most common significant decision factors that strongly affect the feasibility of BOT projects. The paper describes the viability decision factors that were identified and screened with the assistance of a group of industry experts. This analysis yielded 21 significant factors that would have a certain impact on the feasibility of any BOT project. These factors were classified into three relative categories forming the structure of the suggested project viability model. This model presents a new approach, based on the analytical hierarchy process technique, to evaluate the relationships between decision factors related to project feasibility determination. The new approach has been validated by information obtained from three case studies of BOT projects. The proposed approach to project feasibility evaluation aims to increase the decision maker’s ability to determine the factors contributing the most to the viability to the BOT project at hand.     

Site Safety Management in Hong Kong

The construction industry is well known for its complexities and inefficiencies in dealing with human safety and construction processes. The industry itself has been notorious for its high casualty records over many years. Especially in Hong Kong, the concept of improving safety in construction sites has only started to be developed in recent years. The government has set up new ordinances and regulations, and companies are willing to invest more on this issue before the construction commences. Nowadays in Hong Kong, from the small to the sizable, nearly all construction companies have their own site safety plans indicating safety guidelines and protective measures to achieve certain safety standards on the project sites. However, when viewing the past records published by the Labour Department, no trend in injury frequency reduction was noted. Consequently, an effort has been made in this report to compare three different site safety plans of three renowned civil and building contractors were investigated. Moreover, in order to review the effectiveness of the prevailing site safety plans and the safety performance of the contractors, a questionnaire survey targeting some site staff was conducted to solicit their opinions on the implementation of site safety plans. From the results of the questionnaire survey the authors determined that the construction companies are now regarding occupational health and safety as prerequisites of all the site operations.     

Evaluation and Management of Political Risks in China's BOT Projects

The potential slowdown of the economic growth in China has led the government to increase spending in basic infrastructure such as roads, ports, and power generation facilities. There are opportunities in the infrastructure sectors for foreign investors. It is important however to identify and manage the unique or critical risks associated with investments in China's infrastructure projects. Such issues have received special attention with the closure of the Guangdong International Trust and Investment Corporation in 1998 and the subsequent confusion over government support and guarantees. This paper is based on the findings from an international survey on risk management of build-operate-transfer (BOT) projects in developing countries, with emphasis on infrastructure projects in China. It discusses specifically the criticality of the political and force majeure risks. Based on the survey, the following critical risks, in descending order of criticality, are identified: Chinese Parties' reliability and creditworthiness, change in law, force majeure, delay in approval, expropriation, and corruption. The measures for mitigating each of these risks are also discussed.     

Optimal Capital Structure Model for BOT Power Projects in Turkey

Interest in the Build/Operate/Transfer (BOT) scheme for infrastructure projects has been growing rapidly, and numerous projects have been implemented around the world. Through BOT projects, a government reallocates the risks and rewards in the development of large infrastructure projects to the private sector. One key aspect to the successful implementation of the BOT concept in any country is the raising of finance by project sponsors. Financial engineering techniques and capital structuring skills are required to find the proper mix of debt and equity and to achieve successful financing for the proposed project. The objective of this paper is to present a simplified model to determine the optimum equity level for decisionmakers at the evaluation stage of a BOT hydroelectric power plant (HEPP) project in Turkey, which takes place immediately after the completion of the feasibility study. The resulting model is the combination of a financial model and a linear programming model that incorporates an objective of maximizing the return of the project from the equity holder’s point of view. To show versatility of the model, a real case study is conducted. Thus, this research is concerned with the determination of an equity funding level in BOT project finance. There are different equity levels found in BOT HEPP projects, and there is a need for such a model to determine optimal capital structure, which would assist the project sponsors to ensure that the equity level necessary for optimal capital structure is available prior to the project implementation stage.     

Adjudication: Temporary Binding and Tiered Dispute Resolution in Construction and Engineering: Hong Kong Experience

Hong Kong (under the “One Country Two Systems” Policy, Hong Kong, although an administrative region of the PRC operates a separate legal system, whose roots lie in the English common law system) has a justified reputation for being at the forefront of developments in techniques to avoid and resolve disputes in the construction industry. [This is illustrated by the adoption of the UNITRCAL Model Law by the Arbitration (Amendment) Ordinance 1996, specific powers given to Arbitral Tribunals under the Arbitration Ordinance (Cap. 341) including powers to consolidate, and the development of the dispute resolution adviser system. See the genesis, development and future use of the dispute resolution adviser system by Colin J Wall, Hong Kong Society of Construction Law dated November 17, 2004]. However, it has not, to date, seen the widespread adoption of adjudication as a means of resolving disputes. This article examines the history of the use of adjudication in Hong Kong, current trends, and offers some possible reasons for the limited adoption of adjudication.     

Culture and psychology in Hong Kong.

Comments on a discussion of clinical psychology in Hong Kong by D. Ho (see record 1986-15498-001). It is argued that Ho's otherwise admirable article is marred by the misidentification of Maslow and Rogers as "modern prophets of individualism," as both would have accepted Ho's synthesis of Western individualism and Chinese collectivism. (2 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Haemophilia and HIV infection in Hong Kong

This is a retrospective study of the problems faced and support received by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infected haemophilia patients in Hong Kong. Between December 1984 and December 1994, 63 patients were detected to be HIV positive, out of a total of 231 haemophiliacs screened. Infection could be traced back to before August 1985, when safer heat-treated clotting factors were not yet available. Psychosocial impacts were obvious in this group of patients because of the double blow of HIV infection and haemophilia. Amongst the more evident problems were obstacles in schooling, employment difficulties, and disturbed relationships with family and friends, to mention a few. Psychosocial support services have been rendered by both the government and non-governmental organizations in Hong Kong. Financial assistance has also been given by the government since April 1993. To date, only eleven (17.5%) patients were known to have progressed to AIDS. Medical treatment, psychosocial support and financial assistance are integral components of an effective AIDS care programme for HIV-infected haemophilia patients.     

Knowledge of stroke in Hong Kong Chinese

Cervical ribs were observed in six hydropic fetuses with 45X karyotype. To test the usefulness of this observation in the macerated hydropic fetus where chromosome culture is problematic, a group of 36 hydropic fetuses was examined. Cases were chosen to include fetuses with several karyotypic and pathological abnormalities known to be associated with fetal hydrops. Whole-body anteroposterior radiographs were evaluated without knowledge of the fetal karyotype or pathological findings. Twenty-five fetuses had an abnormal karyotype, seven had a normal karyotype and in four culture failed. In the last group, the number of X, 21 and 18 chromosomes per nucleus was estimated using FISH. Radiographic analysis demonstrated that among the 16 fetuses with 45,X karyotype or a single copy of X and female phenotype, 12 had a pair of cervical ribs. Three other fetuses had a single cervical rib. Only one fetus had no cervical ribs. The last fetus had tubular hypoplasia of the aortic arch and persistent mesocolon. Twelve of the sixteen 45,X fetuses had tubular hypoplasia of the aortic arch. Seven had other cardiovascular anomalies, five had renal anomalies, and five had anomalies of intestinal rotation. Cervical rib appears to be more common than other frequently recorded associations of 45,X. It is a useful and easily demonstrated mark in the evaluation of the macerated hydropic fetus.