Quest for continuous quality improvement for public housing construction in Hong Kong

With mandatory implementation of the ISO 9000 quality system by the Housing Authority in Hong Kong, most construction firms there now claim to have initiated quality systems in their processes as defined in their quality manuals. In addition, an objective quality measuring yardstick, the Performance Assessment Scoring Scheme (PASS), has been administered by the Housing Authority of Hong Kong to monitor the performance quality of contractors. These two measures, coupled with the two other contractual requirements stipulating the use of mechanized formwork and precast facade units, are directed towards achievement of a desired quality standard. However, the PASS analysis has revealed that the general level of quality has not improved significantly and the expected continuous improvement in construction quality has not been realized over a specific time period. Quality appears far better on paper than does the actual work on site. This suggests that quality management in the construction setting is far more difficult to achieve than it is in other industries. This paper explores possible reasons for failure in the quest for quality in public housing construction, and proposes changes needed before the vision of continuous quality improvement can be realized.     

Residential satisfaction in housing estates: a Hong Kong perspective

Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) has been developed to address the problem of acquiring feedback from the occupants who are, arguably, in the best position to provide information for a future design database. This paper presents a study of the factors (on both physical and social levels), which influence residential satisfaction of a sample of occupants in a chosen residential area in Hong Kong; factor analysis and multiple regression were carried out on the data. A comparison is also made of the perceived factors of dissatisfaction amongst the public and private housing occupants. It is suggested that a wider systematic coverage of the subject through investigative and diagnostic POE should be carried out in Hong Kong.     

Residualisation and resilience: public housing in Hong Kong

Public housing has been an important element in the welfare state and a substantial literature has analysed its origins and growth in different places. However, as it has matured and been redefined by privatisation and regeneration, debates have changed and increasingly been concerned with residualisation and decline. This paper outlines considerations affecting comparative analysis of public housing and presents new material related to explanations for the resilience of public housing in Hong Kong.     

Challenge-driven design for public housing: The case of Hong Kong

Public housing (PH) has existed in Hong Kong for six decades. Previous and current challenges that have been encountered over time function as a collective driver for design progression. However, such challenges have remained under research to be able to draw useful lessons from them. To understand how this established motif can suit the sustainability-consciousera, this study uses Hong Kong as a representative case for sub-tropical compact cities by critiquing its PH design against multiple constraints. The objective of this study is to trace the historical relationships between challenges and design progress as well as to assess current and future implications of sustainability trends on PH design. By synthesizing data from literature, policy documents, and empirical evidence, this research develops an evolution map for PH design in Hong Kong that is driven by seven major challenges. Based on this map, a conceptual framework for intersecting considerations that envisages five main future prospects toward future PH design is also established.     

ISO 9000 and beyond: from a Hong Kong construction perspective

Client driven ‘pushes’ for ISO 9000 certification in Hong Kong are observed to have overtaken any spontaneous ‘pull factors’ (motivators) towards quality improvements ‘for their own sake’. For example, the need for ISO 9000 certification as a prerequisite for even being considered for public sector construction works appears to have distracted some organizations from a more comprehensive organization-specific development of their quality management systems. Both positive (beneficial) and negative (detrimental) outcomes from ISO 9000 certification, as observed from relevant previous studies, are summarized herein. These provide a useful background against which to present perceptions derived from the current study in Hong Kong construction. The target groups were predominantly from consultants in the initial survey and all from contractors in the second and more comprehensive survey. The more significant positive and negative outcomes from ISO 9000 certification as derived from the two current surveys are identified. Recommendations are made for realigned approaches to ISO 9000 certification and for seamless integration with other quality management approaches such as TQM, as well as with other management subsystems, such as for productivity improvement and dispute minimization.     

A study of the factors affecting construction durations in Hong Kong

This is the second phase of an investigation into the significant factors influencing construction duration of projects in Hong Kong. The results of the first phase led to the conclusion that larger samples were justified to investigate further the discerned relationships. Expanded samples were obtained in this second phase by adding some reported data from Hong Kong projects to the original surveyed sample. The second phase of this study also further investigates the relationships between different project characteristic variables such as the construction duration, construction cost, total gross floor area and the number of storeys in the case of buildings. Moreover, a case study on plant utilization level and site labour productivity was carried out on a building site to explore the ‘micro-factors’ that affect construction durations. The findings are of importance to all construction industry participants as the derived models help to estimate the construction duration of a project on the basis of significant macro project parameters. Additionally, the results of the case study indicate the contribution of significantly variable site productivity levels to overall construction duration and suggest an agenda for future investigations. A third phase of this study is planned incorporating more detailed data collection and analysis of significant factors, as well as international comparisons where possible.     

Investigating the intentional quality risks in public foundation projects: A Hong Kong study

Since foundation projects are one of the most complicated construction activities, many unforeseeable and invisible conditions and uncertainties will be investigated during the construction processes. The importance of examining risk management in foundation projects had pressing harder as short-piling experiences gained from the Hong Kong construction. Various types of quality risk should not be avoided throughout the construction development, including site condition, managerial and contractual factors. This paper identifies the typical factors affecting the three main categories defined in risk management in conducting foundation projects from various construction professionals. Intentional quality risk found to be difficult in handling the real responsibilities. This study will also present alternative solutions for controlling these quality risks and the effectiveness of these solutions has been tested. The findings from the study provide useful references to the construction industries.     

Development of a partnering performance index (PPI) for construction projects in Hong Kong: a Delphi study

Over the past decade, research studies on benefits, critical success factors, difficulties, process, conceptual and theoretical models of construction partnering have been ubiquitous in the construction management discipline. In fact, there is adequate evidence that an increasing number of client organizations are adopting a partnering approach to undertake their building and construction projects both locally and worldwide during the last decade. With the perceived benefits that partnering brings about, research into Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to evaluate the success of partnering projects in construction becomes vital as it can help set a benchmark for measuring the performance level of partnering projects. However, although there are some related studies and papers on this research area, few, if any, comprehensive and systematic studies focus on developing a comprehensive, objective, reliable and practical performance evaluation model for partnering projects. A model has been developed using the Delphi survey technique to objectively measure the performance of partnering projects in Hong Kong based on a consolidated KPIs' conceptual framework previously developed for partnering projects. Four rounds of Delphi questionnaire survey were conducted with 31 construction experts in Hong Kong. The results reveal that the top seven weighted KPIs to evaluate the success of partnering projects in Hong Kong were: (1) time performance; (2) cost performance; (3) top management commitment; (4) trust and respect; (5) quality performance; (6) effective communications; and (7) innovation and improvement. A statistically significant consensus on the top seven weighted KPIs was also obtained. Finally, a composite Partnering Performance Index (PPI) for partnering projects in Hong Kong was derived to provide an all‐round assessment of partnering performance. Different partnering projects can now be assessed on the same basis for benchmarking purposes. Construction senior executives and project managers can thus use the Index to measure, evaluate and improve the performance of their partnering projects to strive for construction excellence. Although the PPI was developed locally in Hong Kong, the research method could be replicated in other parts of the world to produce similar indices for international comparison. Such an extension would aid the understanding of managing partnering projects across different geographic locations.     

香港老年人租贷公房政策借鉴——以北京老年人住房政策为比较对象

本文通过对香港老年人租贷公房政策的介绍,比较并讨论了北京市现有老年人的住房政策所存在的缺陷。进而针对我国国情提出改善北京市老年人住房状况的一些政策建议。     

Forecasting construction tender price index in Hong Kong using vector error correction model

Reliable short‐ to medium‐term prediction of the tender price index (TPI) is crucial to construction stakeholders, and this has stimulated the interest of the research community to seek a more analytical method for TPI forecast. The purpose of this study is to establish an econometric model for accurately predicting the tender price movements based on a group of associated financial and macroeconomic variables. Applying Johansen’s method for multivariate cointegration analysis, the tender price was found to be cointegrated with the gross domestic product, construction output and building cost. A vector error correction (VEC) model imposing the cointegration restriction was then developed for the purpose of forecasting. The model was verified against various diagnostic statistical criteria and compared with the Box‐Jenkins and regression models. With a mean absolute percentage error for a three‐year ahead forecast at 2.9% level, the developed VEC model outperforms the Box‐Jenkins and regression models, and is proven to be efficient and reliable in forecasting the short‐ to medium‐term tender price movements. The model can assist estimators to predict the TPI pattern in advance, and it can also help the public sector in planning for the construction workload to improve the stability of the construction market. Although the VEC model developed focuses on the Hong Kong construction market, the econometric technique can be applied to modelling other economic variables.     

Marriage-induced homeownership as a driver of housing booms: evidence from Hong Kong

Abstract

Buying a home for marriage is customary in many societies. Traditionally, therefore, young couples getting married is a key driver of demand for homeownership. Yet the idea of marriage-induced demand for homeownership is a relatively underexplored component of housing price change. We examine the role of marriage-induced demand for homeownership in Hong Kong, a relatively self-contained housing market with fewer options for migration than most large cities. We use an instrumental variable strategy to test the hypothesis that more unmarried individuals at the prime age for marriage increases housing prices. We find that an additional one thousand marriage-aged but unmarried individuals leads to a seven per cent increase in housing prices. These findings confirm the importance of demographic factors such as cohort size and marriage rates on housing price projections, housing needs assessments, and housing policy.     

Modeling relational transaction and relationship quality among team members in public projects in Hong Kong

Prior studies have found that relational contracting (RC) practices are helpful in nurturing good relationships among project team members. These empirical studies, however, did not differentiate by project type (i.e., public or private projects). In reality, the situation faced in public projects would be different from that of private projects since for example, some public sector participants may be indifferent to, concerned about or indeed opposed to, building close relationships with private sector counterparts. In the context of public construction projects, this study aims to develop models to explain the association between relationship quality and the extent to which RC practices are adopted. Data were collected via a questionnaire survey in Hong Kong, China. Using Multiple Linear Regression and Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), models for predicting the relationship quality among project team members were developed. The mathematical equations were validated by a case study. The models show that the relationship quality among project team members can be predicted by the extent to which these RC practices are implemented: (i) adoption of flexible strategies; (ii) readiness to compromise on unclear issues; (iii) willingness to commit on a long-term basis; (iv) attitude towards teamwork; (v) trust among team members; (vi) sharing of project information; (vii) understanding among team members; and (viii) alignment of the objectives of different parties. The models are recommended to public clients, consultants and contractors that aim to achieve good relationships in public projects.     

香港未来15年基建项目投资6000亿港元

香港特区政府计划在未来 15年中 ,耗资 6 0 0 0亿港元进行 16 0 0个基建项目投资。内容包括 :耗资4 2亿元的中环填海计划 ,耗资 38亿元的湾仔发展计划 ,耗资 16 1亿元的东南九龙发展计划 ,近 2 0 0 0亿元的铁路发展计划 ,80 0亿元的道路建设计划等。未来公共计划会尽量朝私人投资方向发展 ,其中西九龙发展计划、邮轮码头都将是私人投资项目。所有私人发展都是商业上可行的项目 ,而政府会在不同盈利能力项目方面作出配搭 ,使得组合具有吸引力。 (摘自《中国投资》)香港未来15年基建项目投资6000亿港元…     

政府投资项目代建制下的责任追究机制

由于政府投资项目相关主体不都是民事主体,法律责任也包括民事、行政和刑事责任,不宜采用单一的过错责任原则或无过错责任原则来解决代建项目责任追究问题。建议将代建项目责任追究与风险分配结合起来考虑,事先在合同中约定不同风险由哪一方承担,一旦项目实施过程中出现偏差或损失,即可根据约定的风险分配确定归责机制和举证程序。为合理确定风险分配方案,选择与项目实施相关的32项风险因素,针对各项风险由哪一方承担设计问卷,对政府部门、代建单位的管理人员进行调查。根据调查数据的统计分析,将32项风险因素分为6类:政府承担、优先考虑由政府承担、双方分担、优先考虑由代建单位承担、由代建单位承担和视具体情况而定,并阐述每一类风险对应的归责机制和举证程序。     

论房屋建筑工程的施工质量管理

针对房屋建筑质量管理中存在的问题,从完善质量管理体系,提高施工人员素质,加强施工现场质量管理等方面,提出了房屋建筑工程施工质量管理的对策,以确保房屋建筑质量达到理想的效果。     

香港建筑工业化进程简述

香港的建筑工业化经过短短的十多年就获得了很大的成功．由开始预制部件仅用于政府兴建的公屋,逐渐为私人发展商和建筑公司接受,现已全面推广。在此进程中,香港政府出台的相关政策以及相关部门的引导、监管起到了重要作用。本文的三位作者都曾在香港建筑建材界就过职,亲历香港建筑工业化的过程,希望他们的此篇文章对我们的墙材革新及墙材产品的生产开发有所启示。[编者按]     

Housing price and transaction intensity correlation in Hong Kong: implications for government housing policy

Examination of the causal relationship between housing price and transaction intensity helps us understand the housing market dynamics better. The housing market is a very unique asset market as demand for housing comes from both demand for investment return and demand for a shelter/accommodation. Empirical analysis on this causal relationship therefore provides government with important policy considerations. In this paper, we will examine such correlation between housing price movements and transaction intensity in Hong Kong with a core objective of getting a better understanding of the housing market behavior in this city so that more effective government housing policy could be devised. We examine the price–transaction correlation observed in the Hong Kong housing market by means of a bivariate vector autoregressive (VAR) model, with a time series spanning over the period from 1993 to 2014. Without examining other macroeconomic variables such as employment and gross domestic product, our Granger causality test shows a strong evidence, suggesting that housing price Granger causes transaction intensity in the housing market of Hong Kong, but not vice versa. The findings buttressed by the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model and the bounds test results on cointegration relationships support our conclusion. Based on these results, we question the current government housing policy which aims mainly at suppressing demand and hence transaction intensity, if the objective of government intervention is to bring housing price level to a more affordable level. Housing policy therefore should aim at effectuating the supply channel so that there is a clearer signal of constant and effective supply of housing units, which will eventually help stabilize housing price.     

Accommodating discontent: youth,conflict and the housing question in Hong Kong

Young people across many societies face growing problems in making the transition from the parental home to independent living. Rising house prices and the lack of affordable alternatives to home ownership is most commonly blamed. This paper explores these issues in relation to young people in Hong Kong. The paper argues that the housing question in Hong Kong has distinct local characteristics and cannot be disconnected from wider political and economic tensions. It also shows that the housing choices and views of young people are shaped by more than issues of cost and access. The paper draws on a unique data-set which explores the attitudes and expectations with regard to housing among young people in Hong Kong. Addressing the housing problem is widely regarded as a political priority and essential to maintain social cohesion. However, political imperatives and economic interests are pulling in different directions.     

Value of scenic views: Hedonic assessment of private housing in Hong Kong

Diverse landscape elements in cities are valued differently by residents. People are willing to pay a premium for attractive views. This study assessed the amenity value of two major types of natural landscape in Hong Kong: harbor and mountain. The study was based on 1474 transactions in 2005 and 2006 in 18 private housing estates in a residential district. The high-rise and high-density blocks were typical for middle-income housing in the city. The hedonic pricing method was employed to estimate the proportional share of various views and factors on transaction prices. Only harbor view was preferred and reflected in housing value. A broad harbor view could increase the value of an apartment by 2.97%, equivalent to US$ 15,173. Even a confined harbor view could lift price by 2.18% or US$ 11,137. On the contrary, a broad mountain view would depress apartment price by 6.7%, whereas a confined mountain view was statistically insignificant. Increasing distance between an apartment and a preferred natural landscape would lower transaction price. The negative perception of street view induced a price reduction by 3.7%. Building views were tolerated as an inevitable feature of the compact and vertical city. Quantifying the value of nature and scenic endowments in cities could inform policies and strategies on urban planning, development, nature conservation, and property appraisal.