54 research outputs found
A hybrid multi-criteria decision making method for risk assessment of public-private partnership projects
Get PDFAs governments embark on Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects to develop their infrastructure, effective risk assessment has become an important step to ensure success of these projects. However, there are many unsuccessful stories of PPP projects that have been reported all around the world. Thus, it is essential for both public and private sectors to apply efficient risk assessment approaches to allocate and manage risks more effectively. Literature review revealed a continuous endeavor for better PPP project risk modelling and assessment. Various techniques have been developed for use in the management of risks in construction. However, these techniques are limited to addressing risks relating to only cost, schedule, or technical performance individually or at best a combination of cost and schedule risks. Previous work so far is lacking a comprehensive model capable of handling impact of risks on all project objectives simultaneously; namely cost, time and quality. Thus, the main objective of this study is to develop a hybrid risk assessment method that capable of capturing impact of risks on the three project objectives comprehensively. To achieve this aim, this research explores the risk assessment approaches and proposes a hybrid alternative method based on the Fuzzy Analytic Network Process (FANP) and Multiple Objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO). The Fuzzy logic was used to convert linguistic principles into systematic quantitative-based analysis. Also, in order to consider the dependency and feedback between risks and criteria, ANP method is applied as a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method. Then, MOPSO, as a MCDM method, was used to assess the risks based on the project objectives. Objective functions have been developed to minimize the total time and cost of the project and maximize the quality. The research approach was a mixed-method approach and the field work included a series of questionnaires and interviews. It started with semi-structured interviews with PPP professionals. A mail survey was administered and more than 114 questionnaires were sent to construction and PPP professionals based in Malaysia. Out of 114, 88 valid responses have been received. An on-line survey was carried out as well in order to enrich the findings of the mail survey. The proposed hybrid approach was used to assess the collected data. A total of 30 significant risks were identified and evaluated. According to the results, it was found that “construction completion”, “construction cost overrun” and “interest rate volatility” are the highest ranks associated with the Malaysian PPP projects risks. Finally, the viability of the proposed hybrid approach was investigated through conducting semi-structured interviews with PPP professionals from construction and administration sector. It is concluded that the proposed hybrid MCDM method for risk assessment is a viable alternative to the existing practice. This may help bridging the gap between theory and practice of risk assessment in construction projects. It also can be applied through the public and private sectors to improve risk assessment and management. The research findings recommend further exploration of the potential applications of hybrid MCDM methods in construction management domain
Analysis of COVID-19 Concerns Raised by the Construction Workforce and Development of Mitigation Practices
Get PDFThe coronavirus outbreak has created a global health crisis that has disrupted all industries, including the construction industry. Following the onset of the pandemic, construction workers faced and continue to face unprecedented safety and health challenges. Therefore, construction employers established new safety precautions to protect the health and safety of the workforce and minimize the spread of the virus. The new precautions followed the advice and guidelines offered by different health and safety agencies like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). With construction projects resuming operations, it becomes important to analyze the coronavirus-related health and safety concerns of construction workforce and understand how the new safety procedures can assist on jobsites. Existing studies mostly focused on interviews and surveys with construction companies to understand the impact on project performance and supply chains. However, no study has yet to analyze the United States construction workforce. This paper fills the gap by providing a qualitative descriptive analysis of the COVID-19 complaints data gathered by OSHA from construction jobsites. Information gathered by OSHA includes the jobsite location, the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) of the construction company, the type of the complaint (i.e., formal or non-formal), and a thorough description of the complaint. N-grams were employed to analyze the complaints, detect trends, and compile a list of the most frequent concerns reported by the workforce. The analysis of the complaints data identifies safety practices that were most violated, highlights major safety and health concerns for construction workers, and pinpoints geographical areas that have seen a surge in complaints. The study also synthesized the existing research corpus and compiled a list of 100 best practices that construction employers can adopt to mitigate the concerns of the workforce. The findings of this study provide insights into the safety and health trends on construction sites, lay the foundation for future work of academicians and practitioners to address the concerns faced by construction workers, and serve as lessons learned for the industry in the case of any future pandemic
Identifying Possible Futures of Urban Form Development with a Scenario Planning Approach (Case Study: Northwest District of Mashhad City)
Get PDFAbstractTurbulence and unexpected events have significantly impacted cities, accelerating the process of urban growth and development. In this ever-changing urban landscape, utilization of scenario planning tools is crucial for urban planners. The northwest district of Mashhad is a key area within the master plan of the city. Notably, this area is characterized by rapid and extensive construction. The following research question guided this study: "What are the potential future scenarios for urban development in the northwest area of Mashhad?" The research was purposefully applied in terms of methodology and employed a descriptive and analytical approach. Both documentary and field methods were utilized for data collection, while the Delphi method and Smicprob Expert scenario planning were employed for data analysis. The results of scenario development indicated that the third scenario held the highest probability at 17%. According to this scenario, 4 events were continuous with only one event not occurring.Keywords: Possible Futures, Scenario Planning, Urban Form, Northwest District of Mashhad. Introduction:The occurrence of unexpected events and turbulence has had a profound impact on cities, accelerating the process of urban growth and development. In this dynamic environment where cities are constantly subject to change, the use of scenario planning tools is indispensable for urban planners. The northwest area of Mashhad is recognized as one of the seven key areas within the master plan of the city. Notably, this area is characterized by a high and rapid rate of construction. A comprehensive overview of each area revealed relatively distinct conditions in the current areas. Specifically, the research question was as follows: "What are the potential future scenarios for urban form development in the northwest area of Mashhad?". The current research aimed to employ scenario-based planning and methods, particularly utilizing Smik Probe Expert's scenario planning, to identify potential futures for the development of the urban form in the northwestern area of Mashhad. Therefore, the primary objective of this research was to generate scenarios for the development of the urban form in the northwest area of Mashhad. Methodology:The current research employed a purposeful approach and utilized descriptive and analytical methods. Drawing from the field of future research, the study adopted the French futuristic scenario writing approach and utilized documentary methods (including books, articles, and urban development plans), as well as field methods (such as observation and structured questionnaires targeting an elite audience group) to gather data. The statistical population for the target group consisted of 25 individuals and the snowball method was employed to select the sample size. Additionally, the Delphi method and Smik Prob Expert scenario writing were utilized for data analysis. Research Findings:Scenario writing provides a means to delineate various potential futures. In this study, the Smic Probe Expert scenario writing method was employed to identify future scenarios for the study area. Through this method, 32 potential scenarios were identified, resulting in 15 feasible scenarios. Results and Discussion:The primary objective of scenario writing is not only to forecast, but also to broaden vision and gain insight into the future for making more informed decisions. According to the findings, the 3rd scenario had the highest probability of occurrence, exceeding 17%. Following that, the 18th scenario held a probability of occurrence of over 10%. The 2nd, 25th, 10th, and 1st scenarios were ranked 3rd to 6th, respectively. Based on the 3rd scenario, speculations included the "occurrence of population movements and migration of the less privileged to other areas due to increased rent prices," "intensification of land exploitation (increased density and compression) and adaptive changes in infrastructure," "development of specialized functions based on land prices and the road network," "acceptance of urban and suburban tourism and commercial functions due to market trends and available spaces," and "expansion of specific residential and activity patterns within the city limits to prevent the formation and expansion of marginalization in the North-West Development Corridor." The only hypothesis that did not materialize was the "disruption of the fabric and division of the area into two types of developed fabrics (centered on urban and suburban tourist and commercial centers) and undeveloped fabrics." In essence, the potential future of urban form development in the northwest region presented a "challenging yet hopeful" outlook. Conclusion:In the foreseeable future of the area, the trend towards investing in urban and extra-urban tourism and commercial functions had intensified due to rising land and housing prices, market dynamics, and the presence of large vacant lands. Additionally, with the ongoing population growth and a shortage of housing, a significant increase in rental rates was expected, posing challenges for residents and tenants in the area, particularly those in the middle-income bracket. However, a promising aspect was the absence of growth in informal settlements located in the northern region, primarily attributed to the development of specific residential patterns, such as garden villas, which effectively mitigated the potential for marginalization. The histogram of the sensitivity analysis indicated that the most significant value was associated with the scenario of "disruption of the fabric and division of the area into two types of developed fabrics (centered on urban and extra-urban tourism and commercial centers) and undeveloped fabrics.
Determining and assessing the risks of commercial and recreational complex building projects in developing countries : a survey of experts in Iran
Get PDFPurpose: As construction of commercial and recreational complex building projects (CRCBPs) is one of the most important issues in many developing countries and requires a very high cost of implementation, it is important to identify and prioritize the risks of such projects. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify and rank the risks of CRCBPs by studying the case of the “Hamedanian Memorial,” a CRCBP in Iran. Design/methodology/approach: To pursue this aim, a descriptive-survey method was used. The statistical population of the study consists of 30 experienced experts (consultants, contractors and employers) of the “Hamedanian Memorial” project selected according to the Cochran formula and minimum population census. A questionnaire was used as the data collection tool, administered in all stages of risk identification and evaluation, and was devised by using library and field methods based on the literature and research background, as well as interviewing experts in the risk identification and evaluation stages. Kendall’s coefficient of agreement was used to validate the experts’ opinions in the risk identification stage. The ranking in qualitative evaluation was done based on the risk intensity and the cumulative risk index. Findings: The results show that the risks are associated with exchange rate fluctuation, inflation fluctuation, access to skilled workers, contractors’ claims and foreign threats from international relations. Originality/value: The results and findings of the present study can be of interest to the executives of large commercial, leisure, public and private projects in developing and developed countries; understanding risks can significantly improve the decision-making process of CRCBPs
A risk based approach to evaluating the impacts of Zayanderood drought on sustainable development indicators of riverside Urban in Isfahan-Iran
Get PDFIn recent years, the Zayanderood River in Isfahan-Iran has been encountered by hydrological imbalance and drought. Literature review shows that long-term climate change, drought, and disruption of the river's water supply has led to depletion of underground aquifers and, consequently, gradual subsidence of the river and serious damage to old buildings and structures along the riverbank. This fact would be followed up by adverse environmental, social, and economic effect that could threaten the sustainable development of urban space. Therefore, it is necessary to use efficient risk identification and assessment approaches toward a more effective risk management. The goal of this study is to identify and prioritize the risks of river drought with regards to all three sustainable development areas including environmental, social, and economic. The research methodology was a mixed field method that included a set of questionnaires and interviews. To evaluate collected data, the analytic network process (ANP) method was used. Eighteen important risks were identified. Based on the results, decrease in the groundwater level, climate change, and gradual soil degradation were ranked first, second, and third, respectively. As this study examined the impacts of river drought on all three areas of sustainable development simultaneously and comprehensively, it is expected that the results will fill the existing theoretical and practical gap affecting improvements in assessment and management of sustainable development risks. © 2019 by the authors
The Effect of Rhythmic Movements on Mild Anxiety in Children of 7 to 12 Years Old with Cancer
Get PDF Background and Aim: Cancer is a chronic childhood disease with many unpleasant psychological consequences such as anxiety. The study conducted to assess the effect of rhythmic movement on mild anxiety of children with cancer.Material and Methods: This study was a Quasi-experimental study. The study population included all children aged 7 to 12 years old diagnosed with cancer who were hospitalized in oncology ward of a pediatrics hospital affiliated with Shahidbeheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran. Sampling was through convenient sampling and based on the inclusion criteria. 31 children with mild anxiety chosen according to ʺSpielberger Anxiety Inventoryʺ were recruited. Rhythmic movements with hip-hop style along with playing music performed in the playing room for 45 minutes during 6 sessions. Questionnaires were recompleted on the final day of intervention (sixth day) and 3 weeks later through reading the items for children and filling by researcher. Data analyzed using SPSS V.18 by repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results: The results showed significant differences between the mean values of anxiety (P<0.05) score before intervention and at the end of day 6 and weeks 3.Conclusion: Rhythmic movements as a non pharmacologic intervention reduce mild anxiety in children with cancer. It is recommended that nurses use non pharmacological approaches such as rhythmic movements to reduce the psychological effects of cancer instead of using drugs
Virtual reality training and pain neuroscience plus motor control on pain, disability, health, and quality of life of women with non-specific chronic back pain
Get PDFBackground: Non-specifi c chronic low back pain is defi ned as a complex disorder involving structural, biomechanical, cognitive, psychological, social, and lifestyle
factors. This randomized clinical trial study compared the effects of 8-week Virtual Reality Training (VRT) and pain neuroscience plus motor control training (PNE/MCT)
on pain, disability, health, and quality of life of women with non-specifi c chronic back pain.
Methodology: This research is a single-center parallel RCT. Thirty-six participants participated in this study. They were divided into two groups: VRT (G1) and PNE/
MCT (G2), both with 18 women. The training was performed for eight weeks for 45 minutes – 60 minutes. The VRT was applied by Oculus Quest 2. Visual Analogue Scale
(VAS), disability (Oswestry Disability Index), general health (GHQ-28), and quality of life (QOL- WHO) were assessed before and after eight training weeks using a withinbetween group analysis (ANOVA 2×2).
Results: Before training, no difference was observed between the groups (p > 0.05). After the intervention, both groups improved VAS, disability, GHQ, and QOL (all
p < 0.001). In the comparison between the groups, the G1 had a better performance according to the p-value and effect size in anxiety (p = 0.001, ES= 0.71), depression
symptoms (p = 0.03, ES: 0.25), physical health (p = 0.03, ES: -0.24), mental health (p = 0.001, ES: 0.66), and total QOL (p = 0.048, ES: 0.21) than G2.
Conclusion: Despite the effectiveness of both interventions, VRT improved the general health and quality of life in women with NSCLBP more than PNE/MCT.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Approaches to Risk Identification in Public–Private Partnership Projects : Malaysian Private Partners’ Overview
Get PDFThe complexity of public–private partnership (PPP) projects ensures that risks could emerge and spread in unpredictable ways if they are not well identified and managed. The emergence of PPP projects has brought major changes in the construction industry, the most notable being in procurement methods influencing risk allocation to private parties. Thus, it is crucial to have an effective risk management for public and private partners to eliminate or minimise risks. Formulating an effective risk management system is a crucial challenge faced by both of parties in order to minimise or optimise risks. The aim of this study was to investigate the process of risk identification of private partners in Malaysian PPP projects. Data were collected throughout a 2-month period using a survey with a sample of nine Malaysian companies engaged in PPP projects, and the survey results were analysed using mean scores. The findings indicate that due to a lack of knowledge and experience of Malaysian private partners in the risk identification process, a comprehensive database for risk identification is highly necessary for the private sector. Another issue emerging from the findings is that it may be reasonable to use a combination of risk identification tools for PPP projects with a high level of complexity. The findings of the present study can greatly assist public and private partners to select the most appropriate tools for risk identification at the early stages of PPP projects
Determining the significant contributing factors to the occurrence of human errors in the urban construction projects: A Delphi-SWARA study approach
Get PDFThe construction industry is believed to be more susceptible to human errors than other industries because of its unique characteristics, particularly when it comes to urban construction projects (UCP). Despite the considerable attention given to human errors in construction sector, there has been a lack of emphasis on analysing these errors in specific projects like construction in urban environments with distinct complexities. Hence, this paper seeks to determine and assess the critical factors influencing human errors associated with the UCP. In this vein, Three rounds of Delphi surveys were done with 17 specialists in safety and construction management. According to the Delphi survey results, 35 substantial factors that contribute to the incidence of human errors in the UCP were discovered. Then, an empirical questionnaire based on the 5-point Likert scale of measurement was developed and distributed among 37 construction experts to assess the level of impact that each factor on occurring human error in the UCP. The questionnaire had 35 influential factors related to human errors, categorised into five primary divisions (environmental, technological/information systems, individual (permanently related), individual (temporarily related), and organisational). Before the distribution, the reliability and validity of the questionnaire were evaluated and confirmed. The factors were ranked using the Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) technique at this point. The research findings indicated that the criterion of “technological factors/information systems” is the most crucial, with the criterion of “individual factors (permanently related)” coming in second and the criterion of “environmental factors” coming in third. The sub-criterion “weak maintenance management systems” scores first in the general ranking of sub-criteria, indicating traditional network systems, the absence of appropriate tools and equipment, and a lack of understanding of required resources. The sub-criterion “defects in details and information and lack of design dynamism” is placed second, while the sub-criterion “violation of safety regulations (use of drugs, etc.)” is ranked third. The study results can help industry practitioners make more educated judgements to minimise and manage human errors in the UCP
A Global Survey of Infection Control and Mitigation Measures for Combating the Transmission of COVID-19 Pandemic in Buildings Under Facilities Management Services
Get PDFFacilities management along with health care are two important aspects in controlling the spread of infectious diseases with regard to controlling the outbreak of global COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, with the increasing outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of examining the relationship between the built environment and the outbreak of infectious diseases has become more significant. The aim of the research described in this article is to develop effective infection control and mitigation measures to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 pandemic in the built environment. This study seeks to answer the question of how the facilities management industry can help reduce the transmission of coronavirus. For this purpose, an online survey questionnaire was distributed internationally from 8 April to 25 July, 2020 to collect data from various key stakeholders. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS software. Various methods for the prevention and control of infectious diseases transmission are evaluated through this questionnaire-based survey with regard to their effectiveness for the healthy and safe built environment. These methods were categorized into three groups, including training protocols, operation and maintenance, and design and construction. The results show that all suggested methods have a positive effect on all types of buildings. These methods have an equal effect on low-risk buildings, while for high and very high-risk buildings, training protocols and design and construction measures have the greatest impact. In addition, training protocols and the measures in operation and maintenance will have the greatest effect on medium-risk buildings. The results can help in more rational decision making in relation to controlling the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in all types of buildings
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