Supplier development and its incentives in infrastructure mega-projects: A case study on Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge project

In this paper the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge project is taken as a case to analyze supplier development in infrastructure mega-projects. Compared with manufacturing industry, the characteristics of supplier development in infrastructure mega-projects is analyzed in term of development motives, supplier selection, quality management, production mode, owner participation and risks. The critical factors influencing the construction supplier development are identified, which include incentives, collaboration, future market, trust and bilateral communication. Furthermore, focusing on the incentives for the supplier’s product quality and production capacity improvement, decision-making framework models are proposed to design the incentive mechanisms.     

Social responsibility in infrastructure mega-projects: A case study of ecological compensation for Sousa chinensis during the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge

Ecological compensation plays an important role in implementing the social responsibility of infrastructure mega-projects. Based on the results of a field study, an in-depth interview, and archive data, this paper introduces the ecological compensation for Sousa chinensis (the Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphin) during the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. It studies the concrete measures, decision-making processes, and organizational collaboration of the ecological compensation, using the method of a case study. The present study not only enriches our understanding of the ecological compensation practice during the construction of infrastructure mega-projects, but also extends the literature on the social responsibility of infrastructure mega-projects. This sheds light on the protection of the environment as well as biodiversity in the construction of future infrastructure mega-projects.     

Coupling and evolution mechanism of infrastructure mega-projects complex ecosystem: Case study on Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge

Infrastructure mega-projects (IMP), which involve complex interactions and feedback, have more significant impact on economic, social, and other systems. This paper proposes a concept—the IMP complex ecosystem—to analyze IMP from a broad perspective of organic links across engineering, social, economic, and resource environments. Moreover, this paper proposes the theoretical concept, framework, and functions for the IMP complex ecosystem based on complex ecosystem theory. First, the coupling process between IMP complex ecosystem subsystems is analyzed through material flows, energy flows, information flows, and value streams. Second, a logistic model of the IMP complex ecosystem is proposed by analyzing the evolution conditions and motivations. Third, the evolution pattern of the IMP complex ecosystem is determined. Fourth, the positive evolution strategy of the IMP complex ecosystem based on dissipative structure theory and the influencing factors of the evolutionary process is introduced. Finally, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and Sousa chinensis are used as the case study. This paper also analyzes the coupling structure on the complex ecosystem of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and investigates the coupling and evolution mechanism application of the IMP complex ecosystem on Sousa chinensis protection for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge project.     

A fuzzy model for assessing the risk exposure of procuring infrastructure mega-projects through public-private partnership: The case of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge

Considering the rapid urbanization growth rate particularly in developing countries, the number of infrastructure mega-projects over the past years has risen tremendously. Essentially, because infrastructure mega-projects require huge investment funds, better management skills, well qualified and experienced international expertise and technology innovation, they are mostly preferred to be procured using the PPP method compare to the use of the traditional bid-build system. In this regard, this paper aims to develop a fuzzy evaluation model for assessing the suitability of procuring infrastructure mega-projects through PPP by considering their risk exposure. The main body of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) is used as a case project to demonstrate the practicality of the risk evaluation model. The risk evaluation model consists of four critical risk groupings, these include, construction and land risks, commercial risks, operational risks and political risks. Using the risk evaluation equation, a risk index of 4.53 out of 5.00 is computed for the selected project if it is procured through the PPP scheme. This outcome shows that the case project is not suitable for the PPP approach because its risk exposure is very high. The model developed will enable PPP practitioners to predict the likely risk exposure of procuring infrastructure mega-projects through the PPP scheme.     

Decision-making governance for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in China

The complexity of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the political environment of “One country, Two systems” have brought a vital influence on the decision-making recognition, decision-making analysis, and decision-making management related to this cross-border infrastructure mega-project. Based on case study, this study systematically analyzes the complexity of the decision-making related to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and explains the general principles that were used for its decision-making management. The research examines the decision-making management system of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, its adaptive behavior, and specific coordination mechanism on different decision-making problems in different decision-making stages. This result provides reference for decision-making management system design of cross-border projects.     

Smart construction site in mega construction projects: A case study on island tunneling project of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge

The construction sites of mega construction projects (MCP) often have numerous participants with interfacing work within a highly complex system. It is critical how to realize collaborative work and information sharing among such participants. The information and communication technologies (ICTs) provides a technical guarantee for solving this problem. Existing research has been achieved the partial processes digitization of construction site, but certain problems still exist: 1)information perception of the construction site is passive. 2) common collaboration and coordination problems in the construction industry have not been addressed. The emerging trends of ICTs have resulted in the integration of various computer technologies such as CPS, BIM, big data, and cloud computing into construction process, which would changes behavioral and management mode of construction sites. These new ICTs have been applied successfully in MCP, in particular, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge project. A new management mode of construction sites is inspired by these case. In this paper, a new management mode of construction site for MCP has been proposed, namely, smart construction site. The ultimate goal of smart construction site is to accomplish safe, efficient and high-quality construction. This study put forward the conceptual framework for smart construction site, and have identified three key elements of smart construction site, including information support platform, collaboration work, and intelligent construction management. A case study on Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge project work as an evidence to support the practicability of the proposed mode. Significant contributions of this study is to propose a new management mode for MCP in construction industry, which would enrich the body of knowledge or the construction management community. Future research should be dedicated to further explore the potential of smart construction site in MCP management.     

Meta-synthesis management framework of a complex project: A case study of the deck pavement project of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge

Innovative technology and deep uncertainty during the design and construction process of complex projects introduce great challenges to their organization and management. The traditional methods, represented in the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK) guide, can solve systematic problems; however, they cannot solve complex problems. Based on the management practice implemented in the deck pavement project of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB), in this work, we propose a meta-synthesis management framework for a complex project from the perspective of the science of complexity. The method deems that the complexity of the project has the characteristic of being multi-scale both in the design phase and the construction phase. These problems can be classified into different categories, each of which requires a different strategy. As a result, it is first necessary to adopt the “exploration” strategy to reduce project complexity and to transform the deep uncertainty problems into systematic problems. Then, the “exploitation” strategy should be used to apply the PMBOK and other traditional methods to achieve the design and construction goals of the project and to improve its efficiency. More specifically, in the design phase of a complex project, the “innovative integration” process is used for the exploration of the new engineering technology and knowledge; then, the “functional integration” process is employed to define the system architecture, the interface relationship, the technical index, and other functions. In the construction phase, the “adaptive integration” process is used for the construction of the engineering organization system; next, the “efficient integration” process is employed to improve the actual construction performance. The meta-synthesis management framework proposed in this work reveals the multi-scale principle of solving complex problems in the management practice of a complex project, and develops the methodology of meta-synthesis.     

Application of Axiomatic Design principles to control complexity dynamics in a mixed-model assembly system: a case analysis

The purpose of this paper is to test the validity of Axiomatic Design (AD)-based complexity theory as an explanatory construct and as a methodological guidance for the early detection of need for change in flexible manufacturing systems in order to maintain competitiveness even in turbulent environmental conditions. The AD approach postulates that there are general design principles that govern the behaviour of a system. This proposition is empirically investigated for a flexible mixed-model assembly system by the examination of a long-term study conducted in a medium-sized industrial company. The findings of the long-term study suggest the introduction of a company specific cycle of functional periodicity in combination with a set of functional requirements working together as a regular trigger to detect whether the system range is moving away from the once defined manufacturing system's design range. The paper extends the research work made in the field of AD by focusing on mechanisms that help to control the effects of time-dependent complexity in manufacturing (re)design. Examples of methods and lead measures are given that can be used by organisations in early detecting and controlling complexity driven efficiency losses in manufacturing systems.     

Understanding the impact of non-standard customisations in an engineer-to-order context: A case study

Companies operating with an engineer-to-order (ETO) manufacturing strategy produce customised solutions for their customers. While they may be able to build on a base of existing sub-solutions, e.g. standard product structures, modules or parts when engineering a customer-specific solution, they often have to create something completely new to satisfy customers’ requirements. However, it is not always clear to ETO companies what the costs associated with making customer specific solutions are, or which product or project characteristics drive costs and in what business processes. Therefore, it is not clear to companies if it is actually profitable for them to fulfil all of their customers’ requirements. Hence, making it relevant to understand how creating non-standard customisations impact project profitability. This paper presents a framework for how ETO companies can quantify the impact of the complexity associated with non-standard customisations when cost data is only available at the project level. The framework is theoretically founded; it is based on statistical regression and a definition of a complexity index for non-standard customisations. The framework is validated in the context of an ETO case company and empirical data is presented.     

Assessing the Potential of Cross-border regional innovation Systems:A case study of the Hong Kong -Shenzhen region

While technological transformations have redrawn the boundaries of regional innovation systems, the effect of such transformations on the development of cross-border regional innovation systems (CBRISs) – defined here as the innovation system spanning neighboring territories belonging to different nation-states – has not been well understood. The Hong Kong-Shenzhen region presents a unique opportunity to study the potential of CBRISs, as Hong Kong and Shenzhen are adjacent to each other though there is a border between them and the two cities have their own political and legal systems under the “one country, two systems” arrangement. In this research, we examine the development of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen region by focusing on cognitive proximity, innovation actors, collaboration, and global connectivity through an analysis of patent and publication data for the 2001–2015 period. Our findings point to a good potential given the growing convergence in scientific research among the two cities, steadily increasing collaboration output, and a complementarity among innovation actors. However, compared with other cross-border regions, the technological linkages between Hong Kong and Shenzhen remain limited.     

Marketing in the material construction of artifacts: A case study of a Portuguese navigation systems company

This article examines the social construction of technological innovations, focusing on how marketers of an information and communication technology (ICT) product interact with engineers in the creation of that product. The main purpose is to develop in empirical terms the concept of “material semiotics' rhetoric”. To this end it takes an in-depth look at a medium-sized Portuguese firm, in which we have over a period of five years observed how a GPS navigation device is generated and developed. We use the notions of “rhetoric” and “frames of reference” in adopting “material semiotics” as the theoretical background for observing the behaviors and interactions of the different actors involved in the construction of this technological artifact. The results show how the rhetorical framework shapes the technology, and also reveals the roles of different professionals when negotiating technical possibilities within the communicational strategies of a firm. The paper highlights the specific role of symbolic aspects in the material development of technology, stressing a relation between rhetoric and material semiotics.     

Major system change through stepwise reconfiguration: A multi-level analysis of the transformation of American factory production (1850–1930)

The common view is that major transitions come about through breakthroughs of technological discontinuities. This article proposes gradual and stepwise reconfiguration as an alternative transition pathway. In it, new elements are adopted in the existing socio-technical regime to help solve particular problems. But as more is learned and circumstances change, these elements may trigger further changes in technology, user practice, infrastructure, and policies, eventually altering the basic architecture of the regime. These notions are integrated in a multi-level perspective on transitions and system changes. The resulting reconfiguration perspective is illustrated with a historical case study of the transition from traditional factories to mass production in America (1850–1930). The analysis shows that mass production was the last step in a much longer reconfiguration process involving cumulative changes in machine tools, building materials, materials handling technologies, power generation, and power-distribution technologies. The reconfiguration perspective has wider relevance for other systems that function through the interplay of multiple technologies, e.g., agriculture, retailing, and hospitals.     

Identifying critical factors that affect the application of information technology in construction management: A case study of China

The new mode for managing construction projects with information technology (IT) has attracted worldwide attention because it can help managers and workers perform tasks and bring potential benefits, such as high-quality products and accident-free production, effectively. However, the application of IT in site have not achieved expected results because it is faced with many constraints caused by internal factors from enterprises and projects and external factors from the government and environment. Although many relevant studies have discussed the constraints of implementing different IT and devices in the construction industry or site, few articles have specifically focused on identifying and analyzing the indicator system. In this work, we took China as the background, scientifically identified 23 influential factors that affect the implementation of IT in construction management through literature review and expert interviews. Subsequently, questionnaires were issued, and Delphi method was used to obtain empirical data that aimed at four different management fields. Then, an efficient and convenient method called DEMATEL was used to deal with these data. Afterward, the factors were divided into four categories, namely, core, diving, independent, and impact factors. Finally, the similarities and differences of the analysis results from the four fields were compared, and the key factors were identified. Results show that the cross-domain talent ability, concept and value cognition, and organization structure are core factors in all management fields that should be managed first along with the IT innovation ability in the enterprise. The formulation of technical standards and related device and training input are also critical in specific fields. Strategic planning plays a role in macro control and promotion. Data management and application, platform construction, solution, and collaboration have direct impacts on information management. The research results provide suggestions not only for the government to formulate effective policies for IT application and promotion in construction industry, but also for enterprises to take measures in improving management efficiency in the construction site and realizing its substantial benefits.     

Exploring the social dimensions and complexity of cumulative impacts: a case study of forest policy changes in Western Australia

Social impacts resulting from policy changes and other interventions interact and aggregate, and are influenced by additional interventions and exogenous factors, leading to cumulative social impacts. We explored these complex impacts through a case study of forest policy changes introduced in the state of Western Australia between 1999 and 2004. In this process, we both drew on and modified the recently-proposed Cumulative Effects Assessment and Management (CEAM) framework, to improve its utility as an analytical tool for exploring cumulative social impacts that arise from policy changes in natural resource sectors. Our findings highlight the complexity of the pathways that lead to social impacts and the significant influence of individuals' responses. The findings also demonstrate the importance of considering cumulative impacts - negative and positive, and intended and unintended – when designing and implementing mitigation strategies, emphasizing the value of adaptive management approaches. Our results suggest that the CEAM framework, appropriately contextualized and adapted, is relevant to the assessment of social impacts associated with interventions in complex natural resource management cases, and probably more widely.     

A comparison of institutional systems affecting software advancement in China and India: The role of outsourcing from Japan and the United States

The emergence of new innovation depends on co-evolution with institutional systems. Innovations will stagnate if they cannot adapt to institutions, as illustrated by the rise and subsequent fall of some Japanese innovations in the 1980s and 1990s. Similarly, conspicuous software advancements in China and India can be attributed to their unique institutional systems. While both countries share certain similarities that enable them to develop advanced software that attracts leading countries, the outsourcing partners of the two countries—China with Japan, and India with the US—are related to disparities in their institutional systems that have an impact on their software development. This paper undertakes a comparative analysis to identify such similarities and disparities. Since innovation is shifting from developers’ sites to a process of diffusion and utilization with broader interactions with institutional systems, this analysis can provide important insight into the development of science and technology in a global context.     

Yearly simulation of the interaction between an ice rink and its refrigeration system: A case study

A transient model of airflow and heat transfer in an indoor ice rink and a quasi-steady model of its refrigeration system have been coupled and used to simulate their response to the time dependent ambient conditions and operating schedule for a typical meteorological year. The results for two different cases show that it is possible to reduce significantly the time of operation of the compressors and the energy consumption of the refrigeration system by simultaneously reducing the ceiling emissivity and increasing the secondary coolant temperature without affecting the quality of the ice.     

A study on construction of a kaizen case-base and its utilisation: a case of visual management in fabrication and assembly shop-floors

In this paper, focusing on visual management (VM) as one of the kaizen technologies, a procedure for its new case development is discussed. This procedure consists of two portions. The first portion is construction of kaizen case-base, namely: (1) correction and analysis of kaizen cases; (2) establishment of drivers and instances of investigated kaizen case; and (3) analysis of proximity relationship among kaizen cases. The second portion is utilisation of kaizen case-base, namely: (4) selection of kaizen case from kaizen case-base; (5) consideration of the other related kaizen cases; and (6) new kaizen case design. A case study is performed to assure the relevance of the proposed procedure by focusing on ‘dispatching board’, a typical VM technology. Through collaboration with a factory eager to implement VM, the proposed procedure is qualified by experts as a useful method for kaizen knowledge transfer.     

A study on the dust control effect of the dust extraction system in TBM construction tunnels based on CFD computer simulation technology

In order to control dust in a tunnel boring machine (TBM) construction tunnels, this paper, in combination with field measurements, applies CFD computer simulation technology to study the dust control effect of TBM construction tunnels under different dust extraction flow rates. Firstly, the dust extraction system is closed, and the result of the simulation show that the dust diffuses to the entire TBM working area within 181 s, indicating the necessity of having a dust extraction system in the tunnel. Secondly, the dust extraction system is open and under the original dust extraction flow rate of Q_e = 8 m³/s, the overall dust diffuses to the entire working area L_o = 130 m, and the full-face dust diffusion distance is L_f = 47.54 m. Then the study was carried out with the setting of 2 m³/s ≤ Q_e ≤ 14 m³/s. The results show that: when Q_e ≤ 8 m³/s, the full-face dust diffuses to 47.54–71.84 m; when Q_e > 8 m³/s, the full-face dust can be controlled at 42.81–46.34 m; and when Q_e = 8 m³/s, the full-face dust control effect is better, and the average dust concentration in the tunnel is as low as 12.25 mg/m³, indicating that the original dust extraction system has a better design. The field measurement results verify that the CFD computer simulation results are accurate.     

Causations of failure in megaprojects: A case study of the Ajaokuta Steel Plant project

This paper uses project organizational theories to draw lessons from a historic megaproject, the Ajaokuta Steel Plant (ASP). Archival reports on the ASP were explored to identify the unique attributes of the project; the political wrangling that underplayed its evolution, its economic significance and organizational impacts. Findings suggest the goals of the ASP project were, and still are, unambiguous. Failure occurred as socio-political forces aggravated the project’s complex milestones. Stakeholders were impatient with pre-project investigations. During planning, owners ignored opinions that were contrary to their expectations. While delays lingered, pressures from the global economy weakened the project’s motivation to succeed. These combined to turn the project’s outcomes into a chaotic situation that triggered dire implications. Despite about 1400% overrun in cost, the success achieved on the plant was 28% at commissioning. Contractors remained on site until eight years after commissioning. Six key elements of the 482 items in the ASP project contract were not delivered nearly 40 years on. A simplistic look at these suggests poor planning is the main problem. However, planning issues is not entirely strange in greenfield projects. The paper draws strength from project organization theories to explain what was poor about the planning. Socrates’ generic management theory was used to explain the role of leadership in the failure of the ASP project. McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y explain the significance of stakeholders’ integration in megaprojects. Systems and chaos theories were used to explain the sensitivity of the ASP project to uncertainties. Narratives on these combine well to inspire stakeholders of megaprojects on where and how to seek courage in making effective plans that can help achieve success in complex projects. While normative literature only recognizes project success in a definitive perspective, this study provides insights from failure as an instrument to trigger sublime reflections.