How do project management competencies change within the project management career model in large Chinese construction companies?

Due to the increasing complexity and flexibility of business activities, project-based organizations have become common. In such organizations, project management competencies, which refer to a collection of knowledge, personal attitudes, skills, and relevant experience, are core assets that must be taken seriously. Formalized project management career paths have been widely implemented in the construction industry. However, most recent studies treat project management competencies as static constructs and fail to consider their dynamic changes as a career path advances. To fill this gap in the literature, this study conducted an empirical examination of project management competencies integrated with a career model for the construction industry. First, key project management competencies are identified through a literature review. Then, a project management career model for large Chinese construction companies is developed based on an empirical investigation of six large Chinese construction companies from various sectors. Moreover, a quantitative analysis is performed to explore how these competencies dynamically change as position levels rise in the career model. The research findings indicate that significant differences in project management competencies exist at different levels of the career model. However, the distribution remains steady at different project management position levels for conceptual and organizational competencies, human competencies, and technical competencies.     

Modelling the phase change of salt dissolved in pore water – Equilibrium and non-equilibrium approach

Salts strongly influence the durability of porous building materials. There are two main processes, which are responsible for the damage of the materials related with salt presence in the pore system. The first one is the corrosion of steel bars triggered by chlorides. Chlorides exist in two forms: free chlorides dissolved in pore water and bound chlorides. It is believed that only free chlorides are responsible for the corrosion. Therefore it is very important to define and model properly the chloride binding isotherm and its influence on free chloride transport. The linear, Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms were tested. Another adverse phenomenon is the salt crystallisation, which is associated with the supersaturation. This phenomenon is modelled using the kinetics of salt crystallisation. The model and its numerical solution describing the salt and moisture transport including the equilibrium and non-equilibrium phase change of salt in non-isothermal condition is proposed. To model the kinetics of salt crystallisation the simple approach proposed by Espinosa et al. was utilised. The drying, cooling and warming of cement mortar sample, during which the salt phase change occurs, were simulated using the developed software. The changes of salt concentration and the amount of precipitated salt due to variation of boundary conditions are presented. The model including kinetics of salt phase change is found to be reliable.     

Impact of pre‐construction planning and project characteristics on performance in the US electrical construction industry

The mild recession experienced in the early part of this decade forced many US electrical contractors to reduce their profit margins as a way to win jobs and survive economically. However, to make up for lower profit margins, contractors turned to ‘better planning’ as a method for improving their efficiency and increasing their profitability. In general, contractors believe that better planning contributes to better project performance, but the evidence has been mostly anecdotal. A study was conducted recently that transformed anecdotal evidence about the impact of pre‐construction planning on performance into quantitative evidence. The research resulted in the development of a model pre‐construction planning process that was based on outstanding projects that were well planned and performed well. The study quantified the relationship between pre‐construction planning activities, project characteristics and performance, and a separate validation study found that those projects that performed a comprehensive planning process similar to the model planning process were more likely to achieve their estimated work hours, profit, budget and completion goals.     

Applications of additive manufacturing in the construction industry – A forward-looking review

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, fabricates components in a layerwise fashion directly from a digital file. Many of the early applications of AM technologies have been in the aerospace, automotive, and healthcare industries. Building on the advances in AM in these industries, there are several experimental applications of AM in the construction sector. Early investigations suggest that use of AM technologies for construction have the potential to decrease labor costs, reduce material waste, and create customized complex geometries that are difficult to achieve using conventional construction techniques. However, these initial investigations do not cover the full range of potential applications for construction or exploit the rapidly maturing AM technologies for a variety of material types. This paper provides an up-to-date review of AM as it relates to the construction industry, identifies the trend of AM processes and materials being used, and discusses related methods of implementing AM and potential advancements in applications of AM. Examples of potential advancements include use of multi-materials (e.g., use of high-performance materials only in areas where they are needed), in-situ repair in locations that are difficult or dangerous for humans to access, disaster relief construction in areas with limited construction workforce and material resources, structural and non-structural elements with optimized topologies, and customized parts of high value. AM's future in the construction industry is promising, but interdisciplinary research is still needed to provide new materials, new processes, faster printing, quality assurance, and data on mechanical properties before AM can realize its full potential in infrastructure construction.     

Managing the unknown – Addressing the potential health risks of nanomaterials in the built environment

Nanomaterials offer significant potential for high performing new products in the built environment and elsewhere. However, there are uncertainties regarding their potential adverse health effects and the extent to which they are currently used. A desk study and interviews with those working across the construction, demolition and product manufacture sectors (n = 59) identified the current state of knowledge regarding nanomaterial use within the built environment. Some nanomaterials are potentially toxic, particularly those based on fibres; others are much less problematic but the evidence base is incomplete. Very little is known regarding the potential for exposure for those working with nano-enabled construction materials. Identifying which construction products contain nanomaterials, and which nanomaterials these might be, is very difficult due to inadequate labelling by product manufacturers. Consequently, those working with nano-enabled products typically have very limited knowledge or awareness of this. Further research is required regarding the toxicology of nanomaterials and the potential for exposure during construction and demolition. Better sharing of the information which is already available is also required through the construction, demolition and manufacture/supply chains. This is likely to be important for other innovative products and processes in construction, not just those which use nanomaterials.     

The rhythms of project life: a longitudinal analysis of work hours and work–life experiences in construction

A diary data collection method was used to collect data from project‐based construction workers in a large civil engineering construction project in Melbourne, Australia. Data capturing the number of hours worked, satisfaction with work–life balance and capacity to complete required tasks at work and at home were collected for 21 consecutive weeks. A strong correlation was found between hours worked each week and participants’ work–life experiences. Data were subjected to time series modelling procedures and weekly work hours were found to significantly predict participants’ capacity to complete tasks at work and at home, but not their satisfaction with work–life balance. The impact of work leading up to a major project milestone was found to increase the predictive capacity of the time series models, indicating that project events have a significant impact upon the work–life experiences of project‐based workers. The period of intense work prior to the milestone (the opening of a new ramp on to an operating freeway) contributed significantly to an immediate reduction in capacity to complete tasks at home. Further time series modelling revealed that recovery opportunities associated with workers taking a short, temporary break from work can also contribute to improved work–life balance. It is proposed that construction organizations use the naturally fluctuating workloads implicit in project work to ‘build’ recovery opportunities into project schedules.     

Influence of process performance during the construction stage on achieving end‐project goals

Within a project environment, good process performance can be seen as indicative of eventual success of achieving end‐project goals. A model is proposed for identifying the links between process performance during construction and end‐project goals. The model is developed using process mapping technique to identify a number of process‐based key performance indicators (KPIs) designed for use in controlling process performance in the construction stage. These KPIs were then linked to generic project goals to measure the perceived degree of influence of process performance on the achievement of end‐project goals. The strength of these links within the model was established through a number of in‐depth interviews with respondents. Analysis of the results using methods of ranking and statistics has shown that some processes are perceived to have stronger relationships with the end‐project goals than others. The proposed process‐based KPIs hence offer an opportunity for control of the processes during the construction stage and eventually to influence the projects’ outcomes. In addition to the management of project time and cost, the model provides a broader focus of control that includes other multiple aspects such as the management of interactions between internal and external stakeholders as well as of information and quality management.     

The shift to competitiveness and a new phase of sprawl in the Mediterranean city: Enterprises guiding growth in Messoghia – Athens

Spatial planning frameworks in EU member states have been increasingly supporting the growth prospects of particular metropolitan regions, deemed as regional engines of national economic growth. This paper discusses the shift in spatial planning policies towards territorial competitiveness, focusing on Greece. The country’s commitment to competitiveness was confirmed in the 1990s and was symbolically sealed with the decision to host the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Examination focuses on one of the key objectives behind the prioritization of competitiveness-related interventions: investment attraction and the locational traits of new business formation in the eastern Athenian hinterland is explored (1997–2010). The locational traits of startup businesses are analyzed by means of exploratory point pattern analysis on the geocoded enterprises, underscoring a sprawl-like type of growth. The proliferation of divergent modes of state spatial intervention is associated in the literature with an increase in spatial disparities. In areas with underdeveloped land-use planning structures, it is argued, competitiveness pre-occupations unsettle stated planning priorities and ‘revive’ arguments that approach unordered urban expansion as a short-cut to growth.     

Anaerobic co-digestion of food waste and FOG with sewage sludge – realising its potential in Ireland

The severe environmental pollution in many countries is caused by indiscriminate discharge of large quantities of food waste (FW), fat oil and grease (FOG) and sewage sludge (SS) to the environment. There are many possible treatment routes, but anaerobic digestion (AD) is now well accepted for treating several kinds of organic wastes. But AD of FW alone presents some operational challenges because of substrates and variability. Anaerobic co-digestion of two or more substrates is better than single substrate digestion. This can use a plant’s unused capacity, in line with the trend to renewable energy. Co-digestion technology, although well established in many European countries, is still in its infancy in Ireland. There are problems with different regulatory arrangements. They should be resolved. The paper reviews anaerobic co-digestion technology is reviewed, with special focus on possible application in Ireland.     

Effects of the German Renewable Energy Act on structural change in agriculture – The case of biogas

The strong political support for biogas production in Germany over the past decade has greatly affected agricultural production, farms and land markets. This paper analyzes the effects of Germany's biogas policies on agricultural development by using the agent-based simulation model AgriPoliS. Particular focus is placed on the effects of the previous German Renewable Energy Act (REA, German “EEG”) of 2012, as well as the latest amendments, which were added in 2014. Our results show that under the previous REA and its predecessors, biogas production provided an attractive investment opportunity, especially for large farms, which led to a boost in biogas production. However, this policy also caused distortions within the agricultural sector, including increasing land rental prices. These effects particularly threatened farms that were not able to invest in biogas, as well as smaller biogas farms. On average, biogas farms could not increase their profitability. The main reason for this effect can be seen in the fact that a significant share of the value added is transferred via increased rental prices to land owners. The amendment of the REA in 2014, which reduced support levels substantially, partly attenuates some of these effects, though the previous policy will cast a long shadow.     

Impacts of climate change on urban drainage systems – a case study in Fredrikstad,Norway

Norway has frequently encountered flood damage in urban areas during recent years. In this paper the authors, taking Veumdalen catchment in Fredrikstad as an example, simulated the possible consequences in the sewer system, in the present, predicted and artificial climate scenarios. Indicators that describe (1) surface flooding, (2) surcharging sewers, (3) basement flooding and (4) combined sewer overflow (CSO) are defined to represent the adverse effects of climate change. It is concluded from the annual-based simulation that the total volume of water spilling from the flooding manholes will increase 2–4-times the increase in precipitation, and the total CSO will increase 1.5–3-times as much as the increase in precipitation. The simulation results also show that the number of flooding manholes and number of surcharging sewers may change dramatically and irregularly with a slight change of precipitation, and vary with events and durations.     

Exploring the drivers of firm‐level innovation in the construction industry

A survey of 335 businesses in the Australian road industry has been carried out to ascertain those factors that make firms innovate. ‘Innovative’ is measured by adoption rates of advanced technologies and practices, and the range of innovation drivers reviewed encompasses business strategy and environment. The findings indicate that business strategies are more important than business conditions, and that the following three strategies are significant in differentiating between firms with high and low adoption rates: (1) hiring new graduates; (2) introducing new technologies; and (3) enhancing technical capabilities. The findings also highlight the importance of undertaking R&D and encouraging employee ideas for improvement. The public policy implications are that the quality of university graduates should be protected and advanced, as should technical skills within public sector client agencies.     

A ‘stranger’ in the making of strategy: A process perspective of project portfolio management in a pharmaceutical firm

Scholars assume that the strategic direction of project portfolios is designed within organisations. Our study challenges this assumption. Taking a process perspective, we explored the long-term influence of an external partner, a university researcher, on the development of a project portfolio in a large pharmaceutical firm. By following five contracts that connected the researcher to the firm, we observed how the researcher initiated and managed projects in the portfolio, thereby keeping his influence and relevance alive. Yet, despite his long-term influence, the researcher was perceived as a ‘stranger’ with an ambiguous, and at times surprising, role. We advance our theoretical understanding of the link between portfolios and their contexts by extending the concept of project lineage to inter-organisational lineages and showing their nonlinear and social character. We also suggest related contracts, ‘contractual paths,’ as novel and useful for exploring the link between portfolios and their contexts.     

Bringing planning back into the picture – How can supply chain planning aid in dealing with supply chain-related problems in construction?

There are several supply chain-related problems facing the construction industry, such as poor construction site logistics, lack of communication and trust. These problems can jeopardize construction projects through delays and cost overruns. Supply chain planning, a part of supply chain management (SCM), can be used as a tool to deal with these problems. The purpose of this paper is to study how linkages between common supply chain-related problems in construction can be illustrated and to demonstrate how they could be resolved through supply chain planning. Firstly, we identify how the linkages between common problems can be illustrated, and secondly the role of supply chain planning in resolving these problems. A conceptual model is developed that was verified using three cases with Swedish gypsum and kitchen supply chains. The model is shown to be useful in illustrating how supply chain problems occurring at executional level on-site are related to problems originating in lack of planning at company/pre-construction level. The study thus demonstrates how supply chain planning can aid in resolving supply chain problems. The paper contributes by bringing planning back into the picture and by showing how supply chain planning can help to adopt SCM in construction.     

Hydrochemical impact of construction of the western section of the Hallandsås rail tunnel in Sweden

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment - This paper presents a study of the hydrochemical changes that took place during construction of a section of the Hallandsås rail tunnel in...