scholarly journals Will Bid/No-Bid Decision Factors for Construction Projects Be Different in Economic Downturns? A Chinese Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1899 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinxiu Wang ◽  
Lin Wang ◽  
Kunhui Ye ◽  
Yongwei Shan
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Construction Work ◽  
Dominant Position ◽  
Construction Engineering ◽  
Decision Factors ◽  
Track Record ◽  
Chinese Study ◽  
Economic Downturns ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Contract Type

Whether to bid on construction work is a traditional question that is often challenged in different economic situations. What will the decision factors be when contractors have to struggle to achieve growth in economic downturns? Since previous studies have not widely agreed with each other on this issue, this study aims to examine China’s construction engineering contractors in recent “bad” years. The research findings reveal that the cluster related to expected profitability, including terms of payment, reputation of the client regarding his/her commitment to making timely payments, original price estimated by the client, profit track record for similar projects, and contract type, were the most significant determinants. The bid/no-bid decision-making process comprises three modules, including the contractor’s strategies, the contractor’s competency for a project, and expected competition. These results suggest that competing for survival is the dominant position of contractors in making bid/no-bid decisions in economic downturns.

scholarly journals Economic downturns and population mental health: research findings, gaps, challenges and priorities

2010 ◽  
Vol 41 (7) ◽  
pp. 1343-1348 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Zivin ◽  
M. Paczkowski ◽  
S. Galea
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Mental Health Research ◽  
Economic Downturns ◽  
Economic Recessions ◽  
Population Mental Health ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Conceptual Explanations

Prior research suggests that the current global economic crisis may be negatively affecting population mental health. In that context, this paper has several goals: (1) to discuss theoretical and conceptual explanations for how and why economic downturns might negatively affect population mental health; (2) present an overview of the literature on the relationship between economic recessions and population mental health; (3) discuss the limitations of existing empirical work; and (4) highlight opportunities for improvements in both research and practice designed to mitigate any negative impact of economic declines on the mental health of populations. Research has consistently demonstrated that economic crises are negatively associated with population mental health. How economic downturns influence mental health should be considered in policies such as social protection programs that aim to promote recovery.

scholarly journals Value Management in Practice: An Interview Survey

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 11-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Therese Daddow ◽  
Martin Skitmore
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Project Delivery ◽  
Value Management ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Construction Work ◽  
Value For Money ◽  
Extra Time ◽  
Prescriptive Literature ◽  
Interview Survey

Despite its obvious theoretical benefits, there has been some reservations regarding the practical implementation of Value Management (VM) for construction projects. In particular, these concerns the extra time and costs involved in conducting VM in relation to the actual benefits gained as a consequence of its use. This paper provides the result of an interview survey of the experiences and observations of 17 professionals working in the property and construction industry to establish the extent to which this is an issue. The main conclusion is that the process is working well, with VM being popular among those with experience in its use - which has been extended into the area of consultant selection. However, in contrast with the prescriptive literature, much of the participants' experiences appear to be more concerned with VM's contribution to the identification and management of the risks involved in project delivery than the straight value-for-money aspects. This may be due to the higher levels of uncertainty involved in construction work than in VM's original use in construction.

scholarly journals Kajian Kompleksitas Proyek Konstruksi : Tinjauan Kegiatan Pengadaan Pekerjaan Konstruksi di Indonesia

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-45
Author(s):  
Cut Zukhrina Oktaviani
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Construction Project ◽  
Government Procurement ◽  
External Factors ◽  
Construction Work ◽  
Project Construction ◽  
Internal And External Factors ◽  
And Control

This paper aims to reviewed construction projects complexity in construction complex procurement. Construction complexity is influenced with many internal and external factors. Complexity covers entire construction project cycles. At construction work procurement stage, organization and processes complexity is a major concern, especially in government procurement. Complexity requires regulation and control are such that it does not happen obstacles at every project construction cycle stage. 

Variability of Methodical Use of System Models for Determining the Cost in Construction

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 62-66
Author(s):  
Elena Bondar ◽  
Vlad Stitsenko
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Models ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Construction Work ◽  
System Models ◽  
Technological Complexity ◽  
The Cost

This article presents a possibility of system-based implementation of determining the cost of work in construction. Based on the principles of systemic and variable visibility a logistics mechanism of the use of systemic economic and mathematical models for determining the cost of work in construction is proposed. The proposed mechanism includes specific regulatory features, contractual proposals and specific features of construction projects. The abovementioned methodology is based on a systemic synthesis of economic feasibility and technological complexity of construction work.

Fieldnotes from a war zone: South Ossetia, September 2008

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Larisa Sotieva
Keyword(s):  
General Situation ◽  
The South ◽  
South Caucasus ◽  
South Ossetia ◽  
Track Record ◽  
War Zone ◽  
The People ◽  
Unusual Position ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Russian Military

Editors’ note: Immediately following the August 2008 war in and around South Ossetia, two London-based peacebuilding organisations active in the South Caucasus, Conciliation Resources and International Alert, commissioned Larisa Sotieva to conduct research into the situation on the ground in the aftermath of the war. Sotieva, who grew up in South Ossetia and has a long track record in humanitarian and peacebuilding work in the South Caucasus, was in an unusual position to be able to conduct research within the area. She did not, however, have access to territory controlled by the Georgian side during a fortnight of fieldwork and was therefore only able to cover those areas under the control of the Russian military at that time. This paper, which is based on that research, is not an academic article, but an eye-witness account documenting the general situation and fate of the people whom the researcher was able to contact, as well as particular examples offering insights into the situation in South Ossetian society at the time of writing (September-October 2008). Research findings were circulated to a limited policy-oriented audience in March 2009 and have now been edited into this paper for publication. The editors thank International Alert and Conciliation Resources for permission to publish this material.

scholarly journals Construction prequalification using data envelopment analysis

2005 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 183-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda McCabe ◽  
Viet Tran ◽  
Joseph Ramani
Keyword(s):  
Data Envelopment Analysis ◽  
Relative Efficiency ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Performance Standard ◽  
Data Envelopment ◽  
Construction Engineering ◽  
Engineering Data ◽  
Regional Performance ◽  
Using Data

Contractor prequalification is essential in most construction projects, and the process has been performed by many different methods in practice. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) had been recognized as a useful technique to prequalify contractors by assigning relative efficiency scores. Data envelopment analysis, however, usually requires a large amount of data and has not been fully developed to achieve reliable results. An enhanced contractor prequalification model using DEA was developed together with a methodology for determining a "practical frontier" of best contractors. The established practical frontier can be used as a regional performance standard for the owner in prequalification and as improvement guidelines for contractors.Key words: contractor prequalification, construction engineering, data envelopment analysis, practical frontier.

A Study on Variations in Sewerage Construction Projects

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Azraai Kassim ◽  
Jen Loong Lee
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Site Conditions ◽  
Project Costs ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Project Characteristics ◽  
Major Factors ◽  
A Company ◽  
Total Project ◽  
Sewerage Network

Perubahan dalam pembinaan telah lama menjadi isu pertikaian antara pelbagai pihak yang terlibat dalam projek pembinaan. Namun, hanya sejumlah kecil kajian yang rasmi telah dijalankan untuk menganalisis sebab-sebab dan kesan-kesannya. Kajian ini tertumpu kepada analisis kekerapan dan keterukan berbagai-bagai faktor yang mengakibatkan perubahan dalam projek pembinaan rangkaian pembetungan. Adalah penting bagi sesebuah syrikat bukan sahaja mengetahui kos perubahan, tetapi juga mengenal pasti perkara-perkara yang perlu diberi perhatian untuk mengurangkan kos-kos sedemikian dalam projek akan datang. Kesemua data dan maklumat yang diperlukan diperolehi dari fail-fail arkib bagi tiga belas projek yang disahkan melalui temubual. Data-data dikategori untuk menganalisis kekerapan dan keterukan faktor-faktor. Jadual dan carta digunakan untuk menunjukkan hasil-hasil kajian. Daripada hasil analisis, keadaan tapak yang berbeza merupakan faktor utama yang mengakibatkan perubahan. Faktor-faktor ini menyumbangkan 49.3% daripada jumlah bilangan perubahan, 56.2% daripada jumlah kos perubahan dan 3.8% daripada jumlah kos projek. Dua ciri projek, iaitu nilai anugerah kontrak dan gred pendaftaran kontraktor dengan Lembaga Pembangunan Industri Pembinaan (mewakili pengkhususan, kedudukan kewangan dan sumber-sumber lain kontraktor) menunjukkan penyebab yang tertentu dengan perubahan. Kata kunci: perubahan; kekerapan; keterukan; pembetungan; rangkaian; pengkhususan Variations in construction have long been a debatable issue among the different participants involved in construction projects. However, only a few formal studies have been carried out to analyse its couses and effects. This study is focused on the frequency and severity of various factors causing variations in sewerage networks construction projects. It is important for a company not only to know the variation costs, but also to identify the most likely areas on which to focus in order to reduce these costs for the future projects. All the necessary data and information are obtained from archival files of thirteen projects and verified through interviews. These data are categorised to analyse the frequency and severity of factors. Tables and charts are presented to show the research findings. From the analysis, differing site conditions appear to be the major factors contributing to variations. They average 49.3% of the total number of variations, 56.2% of the total variation costs and 3.8% of the total project costs. Two project characteristics i.e. contract award value and the contractor´s registration grade with the Construction Industry Development Board (which represents the contractor´s specialisation, financial and other resources standing) show certain causal relationships with variations. Key words: variation; frequency; severity; sewerage; network; specialisation

Planning for Construction Work in Cold Climate Regions

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ove T. Gudmestad ◽  
Daniel Karunakaran
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Construction Work ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Weather Forecasts ◽  
Physical Conditions ◽  
Polar Low

With increased interests in oil and gas exploration in cold climate regions, it is not realistic that all construction activities can take place during the short summer and work will continue into the early fall and possibly later. The offshore contractors must, therefore, be ready to participate in construction work in these regions during an extended season, i.e. outside the summer season with milder weather conditions. It is also important that some key work-intensive activities (e.g. pipe laying) can start as early as possible in the season. This paper will discuss the challenges associated with construction work in cold climate regions with emphasis on the physical conditions, in particular with reference to Polar Low Pressures and the potential for icing, as well as the logistics of working long distances from established supply bases. Large uncertainties in weather forecasts call for proper management decisions accounting for the specifics of the area. Long periods of “waiting on weather” might result and management must have the patience to wait until safe operations can commence. Emphasis will be on the Barents Sea where recent hydrocarbon findings have proven very encouraging and where a huge area soon will be opened for exploration, following the agreement on the border between Norway and Russia, potentially calling for joint Norwegian–Russian construction projects (Bulakh et al., 2011).

High-value, low-effort industrial plant commissioning solution strategies

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 653-671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brant Mock ◽  
James T. O'Connor
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Industrial Plant ◽  
Industrial Construction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Electronic Survey ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Solution Strategies ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Type Construction ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The main purpose of this paper is to identify high-value, low-effort solution strategies to common commissioning and startup (CSU) problems experienced during industrial construction projects. Design/methodology/approach Data on the value provided by solution strategies and effort required to implement them were collected from 35 industry experts via an electronic survey. The authors used a PICK (Possible, Implement, Challenge and Kill) chart two-axis modeling method to distinguish high-value, low-effort strategies from among the set of 178 possible solution strategies to the 20 most common CSU problem activities. Findings A total of 38 strategies were identified by industry experts as both high-value and low-effort solutions to the most common CSU problems experienced on industrial construction projects. The 20 common CSU problems had an average of almost nine solution strategies each, of which an average of almost two were identified as high-value, low-effort. Research limitations/implications The research findings are limited to industrial-type construction projects; however, parallels may exist with heavy civil, commercial and other types of construction. The sample size was relatively small but in accord with other CSU surveys. Practical implications Managers are provided a list of 38 highly effective strategies to use when they encounter common CSU problems. By implementing these strategies, managers will provide their projects with more benefit for less investment. Originality/value Although several studies have identified solution strategies to CSU problems, none have sought to differentiate between strategies. This study distinguishes between an extensive set of 178 strategies along both effort and value metrics, identifying high-value, low-effort strategies using a novel application of the PICK chart model.

scholarly journals Profit Sharing Mechanism of Large EPC Project considering the Behavior of Fairness Concern

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Huimin Li ◽  
Lelin Lv ◽  
Xiaowei An ◽  
Guanghua Dong
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Joint Venture ◽  
Simulation Analysis ◽  
Profit Sharing ◽  
Construction Engineering ◽  
Construction Enterprises ◽  
Cost Coefficient ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Fairness Concern ◽  
Project Optimization

A large-scale engineering procurement and construction (EPC) project is often conducted by a joint venture. Many factors affect the success of cooperation among participating enterprises, such as trust and the degree of effort of both parties. The most important one is a rational profit sharing mechanism. Reasonable profit sharing mechanism concerns whether the advantages of the EPC model can be fully utilized. In this study, the proposed EPC project is undertaken by a joint venture integrating design and construction enterprises. Moreover, the profit sharing problem arises from the project optimization implemented by both parties. The fairness concern behavior of both parties is considered, and the profit sharing model for the EPC project is established on the basis of game theory. The effect of the fairness concern behavior of both parties on the EPC project optimization and its profit sharing is further analyzed by simulation analysis. The research findings show that the project optimization profit and its sharing are related to not only the efforts and cost coefficient but also the fairness concern behavior of both parties. The research results are conducive to the application of the EPC model in the field of construction engineering.

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