Chen, Peng; Shen, Qing; Childress, Suzanne. (2018). A GPS Data-based Analysis of Built Environment Influences on Bicyclist Route Preferences. International Journal Of Sustainable Transportation, 12(3), 218 – 231.
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Abstract
This study examines the effects of built environment features, including factors of land use and road network, on bicyclists' route preferences using the data from the city of Seattle. The bicycle routes are identified using a GPS dataset collected from a smartphone application named CycleTracks. The route choice set is generated using the labeling route approach, and the cost functions of route alternatives are based on principal component analyses. Then, two mixed logit models, focusing on random parameters and alternative-specific coefficients, respectively, are estimated to examine bicyclists' route choice. The major findings of this study are as follows: (1) the bicycle route choice involves the joint consideration of convenience, safety, and leisure; (2) most bicyclists prefer to cycle on shorter, flat, and well-planned bicycle facilities with slow road traffic; (3) some bicyclists prefer routes surrounded by mixed land use; (4) some bicyclists favor routes which are planted with street trees or installed with street lights; and (5) some bicyclists prefer routes along with city features. This analysis provides valuable insights into how well-planned land use and road network can facilitate efficient, safe, and enjoyable bicycling.
Keywords
Cyclists; Mobile Apps; Multiple Correspondence Analysis (statistics); Traffic Engineering; Cycling; Bicycle Route Choice; Built Environment; Labeling Routes; Mixed Logit Model; Principal Component Analysis; Smartphone GPS Data; Choice Sets; Safe Routes; Walking; Models; Health; Infrastructure; Facilities; California; Networks
Abdirad, Hamid; Dossick, Carrie S. (2019). Restructuration of Architectural Practice in Integrated Project Delivery (IPD): Two Case Studies. Engineering, Construction And Architectural Management, 26(1), 104 – 117.
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Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to clarify that while integrated project delivery (IPD) methods can be momenta for restructuring architectural practice, they do not predetermine specific patterns of restructuration for the roles, responsibilities and services of architects. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on a multiple case study design; two IPD projects were theoretically sampled and studied. The data collection methods included semi-structured interviews and observations. An inductive data analysis approach was applied to frame the phenomena, conduct cross-case comparisons and develop propositions. Findings While IPD implementations set expectations for new structures for practices, it is the project participants' situated decisions that lead to the restructuration of some dimensions of architectural practice. The dimensions in this study included team formation, design leadership and collaboration and architectural services. IPD project participants locally changed and redefined conventional roles, responsibilities and project artifacts (e.g. drawings and models) that concerned design development and coordination. Practical implications - IPD context, by itself, does not predetermine a fixed pattern of change in establishing designers' roles, responsibilities and services because restructuration is highly negotiated amongst the IPD parties and can lead to different responses to this contractual setting. Contracts set expectations for collaborative behavior, but the fulfillment of these expectations is situated and emerging as project participants negotiate to develop practices. Originality/value - While IPD research and guidelines aim to provide recipes for IPD implementation, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by clarifying that IPD is a context in which unprecedented ways of practice restructuration could emerge.
Keywords
Construction Industry; Contracts; Data Analysis; Human Resource Management; Innovation Management; Organisational Aspects; Project Management; Team Working; Architectural Practice; Case Studies; Integrated Project Delivery Methods; Specific Patterns; Responsibilities; Design/methodology; Multiple Case Study Design; Ipd Projects; Data Collection Methods; Observations; Inductive Data Analysis Approach; Cross-case Comparisons; Ipd Implementation; Practices; Design Leadership; Architectural Services; Ipd Project Participants; Conventional Roles; Project Artifacts; Concerned Design Development; Coordination; Practical Implications; Ipd Context; Designers; Ipd Parties; Different Responses; Practice Restructuration; Contractors; Ipd; Architecture; Integration; Design Management; Case Study; Integrated Project Delivery; Integrated Practice; Restructuration
Rodriguez, Barbara X.; Simonen, Kathrina; Huang, Monica; De Wolf, Catherine. (2019). A Taxonomy for Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment (WBLCA). Smart And Sustainable Built Environment, 8(3), 190 – 205.
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Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis of common parameters in existing tools that provide guidance to carry out Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment (WBLCA) and proposes a new taxonomy, a catalogue of parameters, for the definition of the goal and scope (G&S) in WBLCA. Design/methodology/approach A content analysis approach is used to identify, code and analyze parameters in existing WBLCA tools. Finally, a catalogue of parameters is organized into a new taxonomy. Findings In total, 650 distinct parameter names related to the definition of G&S from 16 WBLCAs tools available in North America, Europe and Australia are identified. Building on the analysis of existing taxonomies, a new taxonomy of 54 parameters is proposed in order to describe the G&S of WBLCA. Research limitations/implications The analysis of parameters in WBLCA tools does not include Green Building Rating Systems and is only limited to tools available in English. Practical implications This research is crucial in life cycle assessment (LCA) method harmonization and to serve as a stepping stone to the identification and categorization of parameters that could contribute to WBLCA comparison necessary to meet current global carbon goals. Social implications The proposed taxonomy enables architecture, engineering and construction practitioners to contribute to current WBLCA practice. Originality/value A study of common parameters in existing tools contributes to identifying the type of data that is required to describe buildings and contribute to build a standardized framework for LCA reporting, which would facilitate consistency across future studies and can serve as a checklist for practitioners when conducting the G&S stage of WBLCA.
Keywords
Content Analysis; Taxonomy; Lca; Lca Tools; Tools For Practitioners; Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment
Lee, Wonil; Migliaccio, Giovanni C.; Lin, Ken-Yu; Seto, Edmund Y. W. (2020). Workforce Development: Understanding Task-Level Job Demands-Resources, Burnout, and Performance in Unskilled Construction Workers. Safety Science, 123.
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Abstract
This study examines how task demands and personal resources affect unskilled construction worker productivity and safety performance. It extends the job demands-resources (JD-R) burnout model to show how job characteristics interact with burnout to influence performance. A modified model was designed to measure burnout, with exhaustion and disengagement among unskilled construction workers taken into consideration. An observational study was conducted in a laboratory environment to test the research hypotheses and assess the prediction accuracies of outcome constructs. Twenty-two subjects participated in multiple experiments designed to expose them to varying levels of task-demands and to record their personal resources as they performed common construction material-handling tasks. Specifically, both surveys and physiological measurements using wearable sensors were used to operationalize the model constructs. Moreover, partial least squares structural equation modeling was applied to analyze data collected at the task and individual levels. Exhaustion and disengagement exhibited different relationships with productivity and safety performance outcomes as measured by unit rate productivity and ergonomic behavior, respectively. Subjects with high burnout and high engagement showed high productivity but low safety performance. Thus, exhausted workers stand a greater chance of failing to comply with safety. As the sample and the task performed in the experiment do not cover the experience and trade of all construction workers, our findings are limited in their application to entry-level and unskilled workers, whose work is mainly manual material-handling tasks.
Keywords
Construction Workers; Structural Equation Modeling; Job Descriptions; Labor Productivity; Labor Supply; Burnout; Job Demand-resources Model; Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling; Productivity; Safety; Wearable Sensors; Biomechanics; Construction Industry; Ergonomics; Occupational Health; Occupational Safety; Occupational Stress; Personnel; Statistical Analysis; Workforce Development; Understanding Task-level Job Demands-resources; Unskilled Construction Workers; Task Demands; Personal Resources; Unskilled Construction Worker Productivity; Job Demands-resources Burnout Model; Job Characteristics Interact; Exhaustion; Disengagement; Outcome Constructs; Varying Levels; Task-demands; Common Construction Material-handling Tasks; Physiological Measurements; Model Constructs; Individual Levels; Unit Rate Productivity; High Burnout; Low Safety Performance; Exhausted Workers; Entry-level; Unskilled Workers; Manual Material-handling Tasks; Heart-rate-variability; Labor Productivity Trends; Physiological Demands; Emotional Exhaustion; Safety Climate; Role Stress; Engagement; Fatigue; Workload; Task Analysis; Workforce; Level (quantity); Construction Materials; Personnel Management; Materials Handling; Multivariate Statistical Analysis
Choi, Kunhee; Bae, Junseo; Yin, Yangtian; Lee, Hyun Woo. (2021). Act(2): Time Cost Tradeoffs from Alternative Contracting Methods. Journal Of Management In Engineering, 37(1).
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Abstract
Incentive/disincentive (I/D) and cost-plus-time (A+B) are two of the most widely used alternative contracting methods (ACMs) for accelerating the construction of highway infrastructure improvement projects. However, little is known about the effects of trade-offs in terms of project schedule and cost performance. This study addresses this problem by creating and testing a stochastic decision support model called accelerated alternative contracting cost-time trade-off (ACT(2)). This model was developed by a second-order polynomial regression analysis and validated by the predicted error sum of square statistic and paired comparison tests. The results of a descriptive trend analysis based on a rich set of high-confidence project data show that I/D is effective at reducing project duration but results in higher cost compared to pure A+B and conventional methods. This cost-time trade-off effect was confirmed by the ACT(2) model, which determines the level of cost-time trade-off for different ACMs. This study will help state transportation agencies promote more effective application of ACMs by providing data-driven performance benchmarking results when evaluating competing acceleration strategies and techniques. (C) 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
Keywords
Highway; Construction; Model; Alternative Contracting Methods; Cost-plus-time; A Plus B; Incentive; Infrastructure Trend; Time-cost Trade-off
Zuidema, Christopher; Austin, Elena; Cohen, Martin A.; Kasner, Edward; Liu, Lilian; Isaksen, Tania Busch; Lin, Ken-Yu; Spector, June; Seto, Edmund. (2022). Potential Impacts Of Washington State’s Wildfire Worker Protection Rule On Construction Workers. Annals Of Work Exposures & Health, 66(4), 419 – 432.
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Abstract
Driven by climate change, wildfires are increasing in frequency, duration, and intensity across the Western United States. Outdoor workers are being exposed to increasing wildfire-related particulate matter and smoke. Recognizing this emerging risk, Washington adopted an emergency rule and is presently engaged in creating a permanent rule to protect outdoor workers from wildfire smoke exposure. While there are growing bodies of literature on the exposure to and health effects of wildfire smoke in the general public and wildland firefighters, there is a gap in knowledge about wildfire smoke exposure among outdoor workers generally and construction workers specifically-a large category of outdoor workers in Washington totaling 200,000 people. Several data sources were linked in this study-including state-collected employment data and national ambient air quality data-to gain insight into the risk of PM2.5 exposure among construction workers and evaluate the impacts of different air quality thresholds that would have triggered a new Washington emergency wildfire smoke rule aimed at protecting workers from high PM2.5 exposure. Results indicate the number of poor air quality days has increased in August and September in recent years. Over the last decade, these months with the greatest potential for particulate matter exposure coincided with an annual peak in construction employment that was typically 9.4-42.7% larger across Washington counties (one county was 75.8%). Lastly, the 'encouraged' threshold of the Washington emergency rule (20.5 mu g m(-3)) would have resulted in 5.5 times more days subject to the wildfire rule on average across all Washington counties compared to its 'required' threshold (55.5 mu g m(-3)), and in 2020, the rule could have created demand for 1.35 million N-95 filtering facepiece respirators among construction workers. These results have important implications for both employers and policy makers as rules are developed. The potential policy implications of wildfire smoke exposure, exposure control strategies, and data gaps that would improve understanding of construction worker exposure to wildfire smoke are also discussed.
Keywords
Particulate Matter; Industrial Safety; Occupational Exposure; Rules; Smoke; Construction Industry; Employment; Occupational Hazards; Descriptive Statistics; Industrial Hygiene; Wildfires; N95 Respirators; Washington (state); Forest Fires; Pm 2.5; Respirator; Wildfire Smoke Protection Rule; Wildland Fire; Pm2 5; Health Impacts; Climate-change; Forest-fire; Exposure; Firefighters; Infiltration
Dossick, Carrie S.; Neff, Gina. (2010). Organizational Divisions in BIM-Enabled Commercial Construction. Journal Of Construction Engineering And Management-asce, 136(4), 459 – 467.
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Abstract
Proponents claim that the adoption of building information modeling (BIM) will lead to greater efficiencies through increased collaboration. In this paper, we present research that examines the use of BIM technologies for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire life safety systems (often referred to as MEP) coordination and how the introduction of BIM influences collaboration and communication. Using data from over 12 months of ethnographic observations of the MEP coordination process for two commercial construction projects and interviews with 65 industry leaders across the United States, we find that BIM-enabled projects are often tightly coupled technologically, but divided organizationally. This means that while BIM makes visible the connections among project members, it is not fostering closer collaboration across different companies. We outline the competing obligations to scope, project, and company as one cause for this division. Obligations to an individual scope of work or to a particular company can conflict with project goals. Individual leadership, especially that of the MEP coordinator in the teams we studied, often substitutes for stronger project cohesion and organization. Organizational forces and structures must be accounted for in order for BIM to be implemented successfully.
Keywords
Technology; Implementation; Viewpoint; Integrated Systems; Construction Industry; Leadership; Information Systems; Information Technology; Communication; Constructability; Mechanical Systems; Electrical Systems
Streatfield, David C. (2012). The San Francisco Peninsula’s Great Estates: Part I. Eden, 15(1), 1 – 14.
Abstract
The article presents a historical background of several great estates in San Francisco Peninsula in California known for their unique landscaping and special garden designs in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It discusses the climate and settlement styles in the area and offers information on the earliest estates such as the El Cerrito created by merchant William Davis Merry Howard and the notable mid-Victorian estates such as the Millbrae estate of banker Darius Ogden Mills.
Keywords
Garden Design; Landscape Design; Landscape Gardening; San Francisco Peninsula (calif.); California
Chi, Nai-wen; Lin, Ken-yu; Hsieh, Shang-hsien. (2014). Using Ontology-based Text Classification To Assist Job Hazard Analysis. Advanced Engineering Informatics, 28(4), 381 – 394.
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Abstract
The dangers of the construction industry due to the risk of fatal hazards, such as falling from extreme heights, being struck by heavy equipment or materials, and the possibility of electrocution, are well known. The concept of Job Hazard Analysis is commonly used to mitigate and control these occupational hazards. This technique analyzes the major tasks in a construction activity, identifies all potential task-related hazards, and suggests safe approaches to reduce or avoid each of these hazards. In this paper, the authors explore the possibility of leveraging existing construction safety resources to assist JHA, aiming to reduce the level of human effort required. Specifically, the authors apply ontology-based text classification (TC) to match safe approaches identified in existing resources with unsafe scenarios. These safe approaches can serve as initial references and enrich the solution space when performing JHA. Various document modification strategies are applied to existing resources in order to achieve superior TC effectiveness. The end result of this research is a construction safety domain ontology and its underlying knowledge base. A user scenario is also discussed to demonstrate how the ontology supports JHA in practice. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords
Construction Industry; Health Hazards; Human Factors; Occupational Safety; Ontologies (artificial Intelligence); Pattern Classification; Text Analysis; Ontology-based Text Classification; Job Hazard Analysis; Fatal Hazards; Task-related Hazard; Construction Safety Resource; Jha; Construction Safety Domain Ontology; Construction; Information; Construction Safety; Information Retrieval; Knowledge Management; Ontology; Text Classification
Abdirad, Hamid; Nazari, Ahad. (2015). Barriers to Effective Implementation of Quality Management Systems in Public Design Projects in Iran. Architectural Engineering And Design Management, 11(6), 457 – 474.
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Abstract
The goal of this research is to investigate why architectural design practice in the public domain in Iran has not implemented quality management systems (QMSs) as effectively as expected. Through an in-depth review of the literature and a set of interviews, a framework of challenges is identified and validated, and it served as the basis of a survey among high-ranked design firms active in public projects. This study shows that there are many barriers to reach design excellence, rooted in general policies and standards, characteristics of clients' organizations, and strategies and organizational factors in design firms. Although many design firms and agencies in Iran have certification of accredited QMSs, realities of architectural design practice show that norms in public projects clearly contradict principles of QMSs and make them ineffective. This study reveals a strong need for developing QMSs that address (1) true definition of design quality in standards and guidelines, (2) importance of final users and public community as true customers of public projects, (3) strategies in design firm management and organizational structures, (4) prerequisites of learning cycle in design projects, and (5) modifications in cultures and interactions among parties involved in design decision-making.
Keywords
Quality Assurance; Public Building Design & Construction; Architectural Design; Construction Project Management; Construction Industry; Iran; Architectural Practice; Design Management; Design Quality; Public Buildings; Quality Management; Organizational Factors; Organizational Structures; Quality Management Systems; Standards And Guidelines; Decision Making; 0