Soltaninejad, Mostafa; Fardhosseini, Mohammad Sadra; Kim, Yong Woo. (2021). Safety Climate and Productivity Improvement of Construction Workplaces Through the 6S System: Mixed-Method Analysis of 5S and Safety Integration. International Journal Of Occupational Safety & Ergonomics, 28(3), 1811-1821.
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Abstract
The purpose of this study is to develop a framework for integrating essential safety practices (visualization, job safety analysis and plan-do-check-act) into 5S steps and validate it. First, 18 interviews with a snowball sample of construction workers, safety representatives, supervisors and site and project managers were conducted. A grounded theory method was utilized to code the interview data. The results revealed that the studied construction companies implement a systematic safety-based methodology to minimize construction work injuries. Second, to validate the proposed framework, a pre-test and post-test study was applied. The case and control groups (26 participants) answered a 6S questionnaire before the 6S system and 1 month after implementation. The results revealed that safety climate and productivity significantly increased for the case group but reduced for the control group during time.
Keywords
5s Method; 6s System; Grounded Theory; Lean Construction; Productivity; Safety Climate; Health; Management; Leadership; Culture; Impact
Shim, Yukyung; Jeong, Jaemin; Jeong, Jaewook; Lee, Jaehyun; Kim, Yongwoo. (2022). Comparative Analysis of the National Fatality Rate in Construction Industry Using Time-series Approach and Equivalent Evaluation Conditions. International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health, 19(4).
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Abstract
Fatality rates such as fatalities per full-time equivalent workers are officially used to compare the risk level of the construction industry among various countries. However, each country evaluates the fatality rate using different conditions. This paper presents the comparison of fatality rates of various countries using conventional (national data) and pair (equivalent condition) methods through a time-series approach. The research was conducted in three stages. The risk level was evaluated in order in South Korea (1.54), Japan (0.84), Mexico (0.83), China (0.70), United Kingdom (0.15), and Singapore (0.13) in terms of national data. However, the risk level was re-evaluated in order in China (2.27), South Korea (2.05), Mexico (1.23), Singapore (0.98), Japan (0.80), and United Kingdom (0.47) in terms of equivalent conditions. The risk level of each can be changed when the fatality rate is compared under given equivalent conditions.
Keywords
Fatality Rate; Risk Level; Full-time Equivalent Workers; Equivalent Evaluation Conditions; Time-series Analysis; Occupational Accidents; United-states; Injuries; Korea; Work; Comparative Analysis; Equivalence; Manual Workers; Risk Levels; Construction Industry; Fatalities; Risk Assessment; Safety Management; Industrial Accidents; Environmental Protection; Time Series; Accident Investigations; United Kingdom--uk; South Korea; Mexico; United States--us; Singapore; China; Japan
Kim, Taehoon; Kim, Yong-woo; Lee, Dongmin; Kim, Minju. (2022). Reinforcement Learning Approach To Scheduling Of Precast Concrete Production. Journal Of Cleaner Production, 336.
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Abstract
The production scheduling of precast concrete (PC) is essential for successfully completing PC construction projects. The dispatching rules, widely used in practice, have the limitation that the best rule differs according to the shop conditions. In addition, mathematical programming and the metaheuristic approach, which would improve performance, entail more computational time with increasing problem size, let alone its models being revised as the problem size changes. This study proposes a PC production scheduling model based on a reinforcement learning approach, which has the advantages of a general capacity to solve various problem conditions with fast computation time and good performance in real-time. The experimental study shows that the proposed model outperformed other methods by 4-12% of the total tardiness and showed an average winning rate of 77.0%. The proposed model could contribute to the successful completion of off-site construction projects by supporting the stable progress of PC construction.
Keywords
Precast Concrete; Reinforcement Learning; Deep Q -network; Production Scheduling; Minimize; Model
El-Anwar, Omar; El-Rayes, Khaled; Elnashai, Amr. (2010). Minimization of Socioeconomic Disruption for Displaced Populations Following Disasters. Disasters, 34(3), 865 – 883.
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Abstract
In the aftermath of catastrophic natural disasters such as hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes, emergency management agencies come under intense pressure to provide temporary housing to address the large-scale displacement of the vulnerable population. Temporary housing is essential to enable displaced families to reestablish their normal daily activities until permanent housing solutions can be provided. Temporary housing decisions, however, have often been criticized for their failure to fulfil the socioeconomic needs of the displaced families within acceptable budgets. This paper presents the development of (1) socioeconomic disruption metrics that are capable of quantifying the socioeconomic impacts of temporary housing decisions on displaced populations; and (2) a robust multi-objective optimization model for temporary housing that is capable of simultaneously minimizing socioeconomic disruptions and public expenditures in an effective and efficient manner. A large-scale application example is optimized to illustrate the use of the model and demonstrate its capabilities ingenerating optimal plans for realistic temporary housing problems.
Keywords
Natural Disasters; Hurricanes; Disaster Relief; Temporary Housing; Tsunamis; Multi-objective Optimization; Post-disaster Recovery; Social Welfare; Socioeconomic Disruption
Abramson, Daniel Benjamin. (2011). Places for the Gods: Urban Planning as Orthopraxy and Heteropraxy in China. Environment & Planning D: Society & Space, 29(1), 67 – 88.
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Abstract
Among the many revivals of older urban practices in China since the death of Mao and the Reforms of Deng Xiaoping is the resurgence of unofficial folk-religious space. As a national phenomenon, it is an uneven process, but where it has become prevalent, it presents challenges both to official standard urban-planning practice, as well as to the public presentation of planning practice. This paper describes how nonstandard practices can emerge in the current context of rapid urbanization, which itself is a force for standardized urban spatial practices in terms of Chinese domestic cultural and political institutions as well as global capital flows. Both local and translocal actors, navigating among various conflicting standards of practice and discourse, can find room to resist hegemony, maintain identity, and innovate. The political and bureaucratic ritualization of planning practice, however, conceals this fact.
Keywords
Urban Planning -- Social Aspects; Urban Policy; Urbanization; Hegemony; Cultural Policy; Social Conditions In China; Social Aspects; China; Late Imperial China; Standardization; Property; Shanghai; Culture; Space; State
Duncan, Glen E.; Dansie, Elizabeth J.; Strachan, Eric; Munsell, Melissa; Huang, Ruizhu; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Goldberg, Jack; Buchwald, Dedra. (2012). Genetic and Environmental Influences on Residential Location in the US. Health & Place, 18(3), 515 – 519.
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Abstract
We used a classical twin design and measures of neighborhood walkability and social deprivation, using each twin's street address, to examine genetic and environmental influences on the residential location of 1389 same-sex pairs from a US community-based twin registry. Within-pair correlations and structural equation models estimated these influences on walkability among younger (ages 18-24.9) and older (ages 25+) twins. Adjusting for social deprivation, walkability of residential location was primarily influenced by common environment with lesser contributions of unique environment and genetic factors among younger twins, while unique environment most strongly influenced walkability, with small genetic and common environment effects, among older twins. Thus, minimal variance in walkability was explained by shared genetic effects in younger and older twins, and confirms the importance of environmental factors in walkability of residential locations. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords
Homesites; Community Life -- Social Aspects; Structural Equation Modeling; Genetics; Analysis Of Variance; Environmental Health; Walking; United States; Environment; Neighborhood; Twins; Walkability; Physical-activity; Twin Registry; Epidemiology; Preferences; Selection; Zygosity
Yang, Jiawen; Shen, Qing; Shen, Jinzhen; He, Canfei. (2012). Transport Impacts of Clustered Development in Beijing: Compact Development Versus Overconcentration. Urban Studies, 49(6), 1315 – 1331.
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Abstract
This research aims to inform the compact city discussion with a case study of Beijing, where urban planning has emphasised clustered suburban development in the past half-century. It uses three decades of census data to describe Beijing's spatial development trajectory and a household survey to assess its transport impacts. The research reveals an overconcentration of urban activities as a result of the featureless expansion of the central built-up area and the absorption of the suburban clusters; and, a lengthened commuting time stemming from the observed spatial development pattern. Beijing's experience adds to the existing literature by informing the search for good city forms in urban areas of high density. It is essential to differentiate compact development from overconcentration when combating sprawling development. Developing and maintaining suburban nodal characteristics around public transit can reduce travel in high-density urban areas.
Keywords
Jobs-housing Balance; Commuting Patterns; Urban; Growth; City; Towns
Maliszewski, Paul; Larson, Elisabeth; Perrings, Charles. (2013). Valuing the Reliability of the Electrical Power Infrastructure: A Two-Stage Hedonic Approach. Urban Studies, 50(1), 72 – 87.
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Abstract
The reliability of electrical power supply is amongst the conditions that inform house purchase decisions in all urban areas. Reliability depends in part on the conditions of the power generation and distribution infrastructures involved, and in part on environmental conditions. Its value to homeowners may be capitalised into the value of the house. In this paper, a hedonic pricing approach is used to estimate the capitalised value of the reliability offered by distribution infrastructures and the environmental conditions with which they interact in Phoenix, Arizona. A first stage estimates the impact of infrastructure and environmental conditions on reliability. In a second stage, the capitalised value of reliability from the marginal willingness to pay for reliability revealed by house purchase decisions is estimated and used to infer the value of both infrastructural characteristics and environmental conditions.
Keywords
Willingness-to-pay; Residential Property-values; Economic Valuation; Choice Experiment; Urban Wetlands; Air-quality; Benefits; Identifiability; Specification; Determinants
Doescher, Mark P.; Lee, Chanam; Berke, Ethan M.; Adachi-mejia, Anna M.; Lee, Chun-kuen; Stewart, Orion; Patterson, Davis G.; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Carlos, Heather A.; Duncan, Glen E.; Moudon, Anne Vernez. (2014). The Built Environment and Utilitarian Walking in Small U.S. Towns. Preventive Medicine, 69, 80 – 86.
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Abstract
Objectives. The role of the built environment on walking in rural United States (U.S.) locations is not well characterized. We examined self-reported and measured built environment correlates of walking for utilitarian purposes among adult residents of small rural towns. Methods. In 2011-12, we collected telephone survey and geographic data from 2152 adults in 9 small towns from three U.S. regions. We performed mixed-effects logistic regression modeling to examine relationships between built environment measures and utilitarian walking (any versus none; high [>= 150 min per week] versus low [<150 min per week]) to retail, employment and public transit destinations. Results. Walking levels were lower than those reported for populations living in larger metropolitan areas. Environmental factors significantly (p < 0.05) associated with higher odds of utilitarian walking in both models included self-reported presence of crosswalks and pedestrian signals and availability of park/natural recreational areas in the neighborhood, and also objectively measured manufacturing land use. Conclusions. Environmental factors associated with utilitarian walking in cities and suburbs were important in small rural towns. Moreover, manufacturing land use was associated with utilitarian walking. Modifying the built environment of small towns could lead to increased walking in a sizeable segment of the U.S. population. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Keywords
Cities & Towns -- Environmental Conditions; Walking; Telephone Surveys; Logistic Regression Analysis; Public Transit; Cities & Towns; Rural Conditions; United States; Exercise/physical Activity; Health Promotion; Physical Environment; Prevention; Rural Health; Social Environment; Physical-activity; Postmenopausal Women; Adults; Health; Risk; Transportation; Associations; Neighborhood; Travel; Determinants
Hyun Woo Lee; Anderson, S.M.; Yong-Woo Kim; Ballard, G.. (2014). Advancing Impact of Education, Training, and Professional Experience on Integrated Project Delivery. Practice Periodical On Structural Design And Construction, 19(1), 8 – 14.
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Abstract
With the increased interest in applying integrated forms of project delivery to complex and uncertain construction projects, the building industry has been experiencing an increased demand for integrated project delivery (IPD). With the trend, many empirical studies have examined the collaborative characteristics of IPD and reported that participants must make the necessary transition for its contractual, technological, and cultural requirements. However, little study has been done to investigate relevant education, training, or professional experience that can support the transition. In response, this study used an online survey that was designed to investigate the level and type of education, training, and professional experience of project members and their corresponding level of background knowledge for each IPD requirement. The key survey findings include (1) project members have the highest level of background knowledge on the cultural requirements of IPD, but the lowest level on the technological requirements; (2) the group with more design-build experience has more background knowledge; (3) the group that received an IPD kick-off training has more background knowledge; and (4) having a lean construction class can prepare students for the IPD environment. It is expected that the survey findings will advance the education, training, and levels of background knowledge of IPD participants, which will enhance their IPD experience accordingly.
Keywords
Buildings (structures); Construction Industry; Contracts; Cultural Aspects; Industrial Training; Professional Aspects; Project Management; Construction Project; Building Industry; Integrated Project Delivery; Ipd; Contractual Requirement; Cultural Requirement; Professional Experience; Design-build Experience; Training Impact; Education Impact