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• The advantages of degradable resins in the recycling process of CFCs are highlighted. • The application of WCFs in cement-based materials, lithium-ion battery materials, and other functional fields is analyzed. • The possible problems of carbon fiber recycling methods are added, and future directions for improvement are proposed. Carbon fiber composites (CFCs) are widely used in modern industry with their excellent properties. However, a large amount of CFCs waste has been produced because of the limitations of the processing technology and service life. And in the next 20 years, the amount of waste will increase dramatically, resulting in environmental pollution and waste of resources. How to efficiently recycle and reuse CFCs is a common problem faced by mankind. Facing the shortages of traditional recycling technology, this paper focuses on the recycling of CFCs by various new degradable resins, including degradation conditions, degradation mechanism and degradation effect. Meanwhile, the application of waste carbon fibers (WCFs) in cement-based materials (Mechanical and electrical conductivity, etc.), lithium-ion battery materials, thermoelectric materials, and other functional fields (Fillers, electromagnetic shielding, and parts manufacturing, etc.) are described in detail. The recycling of WCFs is imperative, but the traditional resin is not easily degradable, which is the biggest obstacle to the recycling of WCFs. Degradable resin-based CFCs has huge application prospects in the future. With appropriate recycling techniques, the strength of WCFs will be lost by 5 % to 50 %, but it still meets the requirements for use in construction materials and some industrial fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the financial management of construction companies in the Czech Republic during 2014-2021, i.e., an 8-year period. Since the data collection also provided information on the years of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the paper focuses on the financial management of construction companies during this period. Financial management means the management of companies' assets, i.e., fixed and current assets and the management of financial resources that cover these assets. Financial resources are divided into own and external resources. Liquidity is also related to the issue of financial management where current liquidity including all current assets to cover short-term liabilities is taken into account. The paper is divided into two parts: the former analyses the period until the COVID-19 pandemic crisis i.e., 2017-2019, and the latter analyses the period during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis i.e., 2020-2021. The aggregate data for the entire period under study is also recorded. An important outcome of the paper is highlighting the possible differences in the financial management of construction companies before and after the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The methods used in the research described in the article are closely related to those used in financial analysis, in particular the basic vertical analysis method and the ratio indicator method, where the current ratio is taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerogels, with their exceptional properties such as high insulation performance, lightness, and eco-friendliness, present immense potential for use in the construction industry. This paper reviews the progress in research and application of various types of aerogels in construction, highlighting notable case studies demonstrating energy efficiency gains and sustainability impacts. It delves into the lifecycle of aerogels, discussing environmental implications at each stage. Despite their potential, aerogels face certain limitations including production complexity, brittleness, and high cost which hinder their widespread adoption. The paper further discusses these challenges and highlights the need for continuous research and development efforts to overcome them, with a view to achieving more scalable production, enhanced mechanical properties, and cost reduction. Looking forward, the paper discusses the expansive horizon of aerogel research, emphasizing the potential of smart aerogels, their integration with renewable energy systems, and exploring the possibility of recycling or creating bio-based aerogels to enhance their overall sustainability. While still in early stages, aerogels promise to be a major contributor to the future of construction, leading to more sustainable and efficient built environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present-day situation is associated with less optimistic economic development. At the turn of 2019/2020, the world was struck by a coronavirus pandemic that affected both the economy of the entire country represented mainly by industries and the social level of the population. More than ever, corporate management adhered to the established business rules which include certain fiscal policy rules. These fiscal rules are theoretically referred to as the Golden Rules of Fiscal Policy [1] [2] [3]. These Golden Rules of Fiscal Policy include 4 rules related to assets, sources of asset coverage, their longevity and the investment growth rate. The Golden Rules of Fiscal Policy apply in general to any business subject. However, this paper focuses solely on the construction industry. The aim of the paper is to find out, on a sample of construction companies operating in the Czech Republic, whether they comply with the Golden Rules of Fiscal Policy within their operation and compare these values to the national average. The sample of construction companies was chosen on the basis of carrying out the same activities, the same size in terms of the number of employees, amount of turnover and amount of assets, and operating in the same region of the Czech Republic. The national average of values under the Golden Rules of Fiscal Policy was determined from the statistical data published by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic (MIT) on its website [4]. Methods of both vertical and horizontal analyses, which represent the basic methods of financial analysis, were used to determine the values of individual Golden Rules of Fiscal Policy for construction companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental consciousness is growing amongst companies in the construction industry. Often these companies are performing Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) for their Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) to convey impact data of their products to their customers. The LCA studies also reveal insights regarding the distribution of the impacts within the companies, offering a prime opportunity for sustainable product development. Despite the acquired LCA expertise it appears difficult to capitalize this potential. Therefore, this paper will explore the integration of LCA and EPD data and company expertise into company specific guidelines for sustainable product development. The aim of the case study at Aalberts Integrated Piping Systems, a supplier of valve, connection and fastening technology, was to support decision-making by outlining considerations and simplified LCAs for comparing options during product development. Additionally, a more general framework was developed to assist sustainability managers in other companies in tailoring design guidelines to their contexts. By adopting this framework, LCA data and expertise seamlessly integrate into product development, aligning with the existing product development process for easy adoption within the company. The framework's systematic approach ensures no vital aspects are overlooked. Its adaptability to businesses with varied sustainability knowledge ensures a broad range of potential users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modular construction and operation significantly impact building lifecycle management, with various stakeholders playing key roles. Digital twin technology emerges as a cutting-edge tool for information exchange, management, and forecasting in the construction sector, offering comprehensive services for diverse stakeholders. However, research primarily explores potential applications and practical solutions, with limited focus on application strategies considering all stakeholders' interests. This gap hinders the transition of digital twin technology from theoretical to practical use. Addressing this, the paper employs game theory to develop models that analyze key stakeholder decisions during the modular construction and operational phases. It creatively introduces mathematical models for complex conditions in the operation phase and conducts numerical simulations. Findings show that the diffusion rate of digital twin technology significantly affects decision-making by main stakeholders in the construction industries in two stages. The diffusion rate in other industries influences the decision of facility management contractors from different backgrounds, yet its implementation ultimately depends on their status and profitability during the operation process. These diffusion rates are influenced by various factors like government subsidies, development costs, and revenues. To enhance the application rate of digital twin technology, the paper suggests initiating pilot projects, creating project pools, expanding industry-university-research collaborations, and implementing subsidies and incentive programs. • We utilized game theory to analyze the decisions during the modular construction and operation phases • Mathematical models were developed under complex conditions to facilitate numerical simulations of modular construction and operation • We found that the diffusion rate of digital twin technology could impact owners' decisions • Measures were proposed to enhance the application rate of the digital twin technology [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blockchain technology has shown potential in enhancing project performance by instilling trust in data sharing among stakeholders, thereby encouraging the stakeholders to ensure a strategic acquisition and resource management through procurement activities. However, despite the recent research efforts on blockchain in the construction sector, there is a lack of knowledge of the status quo in that barely any research investigated the synergy of blockchain and procurement by recognizing the inextricable linkage between procurement management and project delivery system. This paper conducts a systematic review of 54 articles to assess blockchain's potential in addressing issues inherent in the current organizational structures and collaborative efforts. Findings offer profound insight into the current landscape of procurement-specific blockchain research, highlighting areas needing attention. This paper identified opportunities in construction procurement by investigating the extent to which the technology is integrated into the current project management context emphasizing integration and collaboration. [Display omitted] • This paper evaluates the potential of blockchain within the realm of procurement processes and methods. • This paper assesses whether blockchain is employed to coordinate the workflow and promote integration. • This paper presents specific facets of construction procurement that need attention. • This paper offers profound insight into the current landscape of blockchain research in procurement [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the construction industry from 2014 to 2023, focusing on enhancing security, communication, and maintenance. It combines in-depth analysis of 121 papers with visualizations of 507 articles from major databases such as SCOPUS, IEEE, ACM, Science Direct, and Google Scholar to map AI advancements in construction. The study found that security is established as a mature research domain, whereas communication and maintenance are at comparatively earlier stages of development. Specifically, the analysis reveals a shift from Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to more sophisticated technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), Virtual Reality (VR), blockchain, Building Information Modeling (BIM), and digital twins, which significantly improve security. Communication and maintenance have also evolved towards greater digital integration and predictive analytics. The integration of AI innovations with human expertise is emphasized as a strategic direction to enhance decision-making and operational efficiency in construction. [Display omitted] • Review the development of AI-driven studies in the construction sector. • AI evolution in construction security, communication and maintenance (2014–2023). • AI shifts to IoT, VR, blockchain, BIM, digital twins. • Challenges in data management, AI integration noted. • Predictive analytics, ethical AI use in future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite ongoing research in Architectural, Engineering, Construction and Operations (AECO), little is understood about BIM's interaction with its adoption process. This paper conducts a comprehensive scoping review that utilises secondary data to systematically map the existing literature on the adoption of BIM within AECO organisations. A literature review identified 146 papers on BIM in AECO organisations, categorising them into 46 on pre-adoption, 85 on post-adoption, and 15 on both phases. Findings reveal a tendency towards a 'tunnel vision', isolating a single organisational aspect or adoption phase. However, the study finds that BIM significantly interacts with various organisational elements, such as environment, power dynamics, social structure, and culture, necessitating comprehensive changes and strategies both before and after adoption. Advocating for a holistic approach, the study emphasises integrating change management, continuous learning, and ongoing improvement in BIM implementation. This perspective is a significant contribution to understanding BIM's multifaceted impact in AECO organisations. [Display omitted] • Challenges in fully transitioning to BIM, result in untapped potential. • The organisational environment, power dynamics, social structure, and culture for BIM adoption are currently overlooked. • Reveals the intricate interaction of organisations and BIM throughout the transformative process. • Identifies knowledge gaps, provides a research agenda cube, offers valuable guidance for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems have remarkable potential to be used in the supply chain management systems of the construction industry. RFID's ability to identify, track and locate objects provides tremendous flexibility in planning and operation of the industry. Consequently, RFID systems can contribute to on-time project completion, cost savings, enhanced reputation, and avoidance of regulatory fines. Moreover, RFID enhances visibility into inventory, equipment, and workforce, ensuring real-time safety measures. This paper conducts an in-depth analysis of state-of-the-art RFID detection and localization techniques, identifying gaps specific to the construction sector. The paper proposes the integration of emerging technologies, with a particular focus on the Internet of Things (IoT) and security mechanisms. This integration aims to solve challenges in using RFID systems in the construction industry's supply chain. It promises to enhance efficiency, security, and effectiveness of RFID technology, leading to a more efficient and resilient supply chain management system. [Display omitted] • Provides an in-depth analysis of state-of-the-art RFID detection and localization techniques, uncovering gaps and limitations specific to construction, and proposing innovative solutions. • Discovers how RFID, combined with emerging technologies like IoT, enhances supply chain efficiency and resilience, addressing specific challenges unique to the construction sector. • Addresses security concerns related to RFID localization and proposes a practical solution tailored to the construction industry's needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delay in payment is considered to be one of the most periodically arisen problems in the construction industry. It harms time, cost, and quality. This paper presented a result of a survey which investigated causes of delay in payment of road and highway construction projects in Thailand. Parties involved in construction-borne failure identified the causes of delay in payment and their severity through a questionnaire survey. The delay in payment causes were categorized into 4 main groups (owner, contractor, consultant and architect) which was based on parties-borne failure. The questionnaire listed of 41 factors and sought to identify the significance of major delay in payment factors and determine their impact on road and highway construction projects. The total of 120 responders was asked to weight the degree on seriousness via a questionnaire survey. The survey concluded that top five severity indexes in causing a delay in payment were delays in progress payment, the financial status of owners, poor qualification of the contractors' technical staff, delays in issue approval documents and failure in applying for claims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital twin (DT) represents a powerful tool for advancing construction industry to provide a cyber–physical integration that enables real-time monitoring of assets and activities and facilitates decision-making. Due to the inherent characteristics of the construction industry and the diverse possibilities with DT, proliferation of building digital twin (BDT) necessitates a comprehensive comprehension of its evolution and the creation of roadmaps. This paper aims to contribute to the formalization and standardization of BDT. It designs a novel assessment framework for the overall maturity measurement of existing BDT projects. The developed BDT maturity model incorporates a collective opinion generation paradigm based on a fairness-aware multiobjective optimization model to provide an expert-based evaluation system for evaluating the maturity of BDT projects. The effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed framework have been validated through a case study of an experimental BDT initiative. This paper establishes a generalizable framework for BDT maturity assessment that can offer insights into BDT maturity standards to construction practitioners to create effective strategies for the diffusion, development, and maturation of BDT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the obstacles that impede the implementation of cloud computing (CC) in small-scale building projects. Based on a comprehensive analysis of relevant scholarly sources, this research paper aims to delineate the many obstacles that are often encountered during the implementation of CC. A comprehensive analysis is conducted based on the replies obtained from a survey of 217 stakeholders in the building sector. Using an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) methodology, this research assesses the interrelated obstacles associated with technological and operational restrictions, risk and privacy considerations, cultural dynamics, behavioural variables, unpredictability, and resource barriers. Furthermore, a model is developed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in order to get a deeper comprehension of these hindrances. The results of the EFA emphasize the significant impact of risk and privacy barriers in impeding the adoption of CC. The present study offers valuable insights that may inform policymakers in their efforts to enhance the effectiveness of construction projects by addressing the issue of data fragmentation. Through the identification and addressing of these limitations, the research study makes a valuable contribution to the optimization of data fragmentation procedures. Furthermore, it promotes the sustainability of existing building projects by facilitating the more effective exploitation of cloud computing. This paper presents a novel methodology that establishes a foundation for identifying and tackling the many barriers that impede the broad adoption of cloud computing in the construction sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of natural construction materials can help mitigate the environmental impact of the construction industry by reducing the amount of energy required and emissions. Among the natural materials, bamboo is a remarkable option, combining high mechanical resistance with a low specific weight and a very high growth speed; however, its application is limited by the absence of a suitable grading method. This paper aims at filling this lack by providing a strength-based grading methodology relying on a four-point bending test. Experimental results were processed considering bamboo both as a homogeneous material and as a non-homogeneous material and using the ANOVA test. Results show that statistical groups can be defined which are not based on the bamboo species, but on the values of the mechanical properties, hence supporting the appropriateness of strength classes. The bending tests used in this paper could be a crucial test for bamboo grading: it is easier to perform than a tensile test and it gives complete information on the change of material properties along the culm wall thickness. The study focuses on six different species of bamboo grown in Italy, for which little data is present in the literature. • Four-point bending test could be a crucial test for bamboo grading. • The flexural properties of six species of bamboo grown in Italy are discussed. • A strength-based grading methodology based on a four-point bending test is provided. • A classification scheme can be defined based on the mechanical properties of bamboo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microcogeneration utilizing organic Rankine cycle technology has seen challenges in commercialization, despite its vast application potential. The market is large, but so is the competition from standard boilers. This was also the case for a previously developed biomass-fired 50 kWth 2 kWe unit intended for large buildings and small industries. Therefore, a scaled-up 120 kWth and 6.2 kWe unit has been proposed with better commercialization prospects. This paper discusses the process of scaling up, designing, assembling and operation of this system. It includes innovative modifications of previously applied technologies regarding the boiler, expander and the overall system configuration. Both units utilize a rotary vane expander as a specific feature of the design. A comparison with the previous smaller unit is performed on several thousand hours of experimental data. The larger unit reaches higher net combined heat and power production efficiency, reaching 89.3%, even though the expander nominal isentropic efficiency slightly drops to 56%. Economic considerations and market feasibility are discussed with respect to the scaling-up from the laboratory scale unit towards commercialization. Thanks to the simplification of the unit, regardless of the scale-up, the absolute cost remains nearly the same for both units. [Display omitted] • A woodchip-fired CHP ORC was scaled up to commercial (120kWth/6.2kWe) unit. • Improved overall efficiency (89.3%) regardless lower expander efficiency. • Feasible part load as rotary vane expander provides flat efficiency characteristics. • System reached TRL 8 through long-term operation and passing certifications. • Increase of scaled up redesigned ORC module cost by less than 20%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycling and reuse of textile waste is a proficient solution in preventing waste going into landfill and causing pollution. This paper reports the use of microdust generated from fibers in textile spinning mills to fabricate composites using compression molding for prospective applications in the building sector. Ten composite samples of 6 mm and 10 mm were developed by changing the microdust-resin blend proportions ranging resin content of 30%–10%. The tensile, flexural and compression properties, fire retardancy, water absorption and the insulation properties of the composites were determined. The results showed that the 6 mm thick composite board with 70% microdust had the most desired mechanical properties with tensile strength of 6.41 MPa, compressive strength of 3.6 MPa, and flexural strength of 10.2 MPa. These properties are superior compared to commercially available false ceiling board made of gypsum material of similar density and thickness. The thermal insulation value was 0.117 m2 K/W which is equivalent to the commercial sample (0.102 m2 K/W) used in similar applications in the building industry. The sample with 80% microdust (10 mm thick) achieved the highest thermal resistance (0.1879 m2 K/W) which is about 50 % higher than a commercial sample of the same thickness. This study shows that the composite panels overall are comparable to the commercially available panel used in the building industry and provides cost effective and sustainable alternatives for thermal barrier panels while overcoming the issue of landing filling of microdust from the spinning mills. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry's excessive energy usage necessitates practical solutions to address this pressing issue. Windows are crucial architectural elements as they allow the majority of natural light to enter a structure. The poorly designed window and related components cause the space to overheat, consuming more energy. However, it negatively impacts the building's thermal and visual comfort. The paper introduces a novel approach for optimizing control parameters for egg shadings through multi-objective methods. The recommended approach significantly reduces the building's energy consumption and enhances its thermal and visual comfort. EnergyPlus is a software utilized for conducting energy-related simulations. The JEPLUS software has therefore considered seven design variables, such as differences in the vertical and horizontal angles of the shade, length and horizontal dimensions, depth and vertical dimensions, and window positioning. These year-round simulations are performed in four different orientations for four different Iranian towns with various climates. The data is improved by using the program JEPLUS + EA. To find the best locations on the Pareto front, the data is optimized using the NSGA-II approach. The optimization results indicate that a lower angle improves visual comfort but takes more electricity for lighting. The findings of multi-objective optimization of controlled blind characteristics improved thermal and visual comfort with ranges of 5–45% and 55–100%, respectively, and lowered overall building energy consumption by 1–19% yearly, depending on the building's geographic orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry is facing serious challenges, such as labor shortage and safety hazards. Construction robots can perform dangerous and repetitive tasks instead of workers. However, complex construction tasks require multi-robot collaboration, which needs efficient task allocation. This paper describes a two-stage task allocation method using an improved Genetic Algorithm (GA) for multiple construction robots. First, a construction task decomposition and grouping method under construction constraints is established, using a steel structure as example. Second, a Multi-Robot Construction Task Allocation (MRCTA) model is developed by modeling construction robots and tasks. Third, the MRCTA problem is divided into two stages, i.e., determining the optimal construction robot group for each task and the best task sequence for each robot group. Finally, a simulated experiment was designed and conducted. The results show that the method can efficiently find optimal solutions and the improved GA can enhance the diversity to achieve well-adapted solutions. • A construction task decomposition and grouping approach is developed considering three constraints. • The Multi-robot Construction Task Allocation (MRCTA) model is established considering multiple objectives. • A two-stage task allocation method for multiple construction robots is proposed based on an improved genetic algorithm. • A test is conducted to validate the feasibility of the proposed method, which is well-adapted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building operations use 45% of the total energy in Australia, and Net-Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) are instrumental in achieving net zero emissions by 2050. However, research reveals that various factors hinder NZEB adoption in Australia, and it is imperative to contextualise the barriers, thereby highlighting clear gaps that can be addressed to enhance the implementation of NZEB in Australia. This study presents a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis to examine the barriers that hinder the implementation of NZEB contextualised within the Australian building industry. The paper's novelty resides in its contextualisation of barriers to NZEB thereby highlighting clear gaps that can be addressed to enhance the implementation of NZEB in Australia. Emergent results reveal the most impactful barriers experienced and the inter-relatedness between barriers and their effects on each other. These identified barriers are also compared with comparable countries, including the UK, China, Italy and the US. New insight and knowledge acquired provide a basis for assessing potential solutions to the main barriers. Findings show that a lack of knowledge, climate issues, and cost issues, in addition to government policy factors, are considered primary barriers encountered by the industry, hindering the achievement of NZEBs. It is imperative that future studies and initiatives counteract these impacts to realise a better implementation of NZEB in the Australian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing in construction has witnessed exponential growth over the recent years. In this paper, advancements in 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) in additive construction are explored. The authors synthesize the states of research and practice of 3DCP technology for construction through an extensive examination of 137 projects and various publications. Insights are provided into the key factors influencing 3DCP structural performance. The technology is shown to be advantageous, although with varying benefits observed in different cases, including but not limited to reduced cost, labor requirements, material, and construction time. Nevertheless, challenges, such as limited control over the quality, unexplored long-term performance, being counter-cost-effective in certain circumstances, manual intervention during printing, and the absence of adapted code and regulations are identified. It is found that the practiced 3DCP construction automates some but not all aspects of traditional construction. • 3D concrete printing demonstrates significant promise in the construction industry. • Large-scale 3D-printed concrete structures worldwide are reviewed. • Analyzed 137 projects and various research to bridge the practitioner-academic gap. • Combining 3DCP and conventional methods can address the issues in the technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 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. • The significant contributing factors to human errors in the urban construction industry were identified. • A total of 35 factors were identified and classified into 5 groups. • The top three groups are Information systems/Technological, Individual (permanently related), Environmental. • The strategic blueprints and recommendations for stakeholders were provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainable development goals (SDGs) in construction are explored. • SDGs that are most relevant to the construction industry includes SDGs 6-9, 11-13, 15 and 17. • AI can contribute to the sustainability consideration processes in a more efficient and resilient way. • Adressing ethical, data privacy and security concerns, and adoption and training needs is vital. • Careful AI implementation and management is essential to harness the full sustainability potential. While acknowledging the widespread recognition of artificial intelligence's (AI) potential in achieving sustainable development, there remains a notable deficiency and thorough examination of its specific applications, impacts, and challenges, particularly within the construction industry. A comprehensive investigation is critical to explore and understand the multifaceted applications of AI in fostering sustainability across all phases of a construction project. This paper aims to examine how AI can be effectively integrated across the key project phases—i.e., planning, design, construction, and operation and maintenance, through a systematic literature review to map AI applications, their impacts, adoption challenges, and best practices. The findings revealed: (a) Sustainable development goals (SDGs) pertinent to the construction industry—i.e., SDGs 6-9,11-13,15,17; (b) SDGs that show the highest potential to promote sustainability within the construction industry—i.e., SDGs 7,9,11; (c) Within the spectrum of these goals, AI can potentially transform the construction industry and contribute to the sustainability consideration processes in a more efficient and resilient ways; (d) Ethical considerations, data privacy and security concerns must be addressed, along with an urgent need for specialised training and maintenance of these AI systems; (e) Careful AI implementation and management is essential to harness its full potential, while addressing adoption challenges within the construction sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) have emerged as a promising solution for effectively handling non-Euclidean data in construction, including building information models (BIM) and scanned point clouds. However, despite their potential, there is a lack of comprehensive scholarly work providing a holistic understanding of the application of GNNs in the construction domain. This paper addresses this gap by conducting a thorough review of 34 publications on GNNs in construction, presenting a comprehensive overview of the current research landscape. By analyzing the existing literature, this paper aims to identify opportunities and challenges for further advancing the application of GNNs in construction. The findings from this review shed light on diverse approaches for constructing graph data from common construction data types and demonstrate the significant potential of GNNs for the industry. Moreover, this paper contributes to the existing body of knowledge by increasing awareness of the current state of GNNs in the construction industry and offering practical recommendations to overcome challenges in real-world practice. [Display omitted] • A systematic review of GNNs research and applications in the construction industry • Identification of GNNs potential in handling the non-Euclidean data commonly found in construction activities. • Various approaches to developing graph data from common data types in construction • Discussion of current applications and potential of GNNs in construction, as well as its challenges and opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building performance simulation is a powerful tool applied both in research and for building design including heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems. Several research studies have used this tool to investigate the potential of energy savings measures for swimming facilities. However, in these facilities the technical complexity is a considerable challenge in modelling since many complex phenomena occur in the various sub-systems. The building industry traditionally plans and design these complex buildings by heuristic rules of thumb, and these empirical design rules may lead to significant differences between real and predicted performance. Therefore, it's important to develop simplified models with acceptable accuracy for simulation-based design of swimming facilities. The scientific literature introduces different simplifications for the air handling unit modelling, but the impact of these simplifications is hardly analyzed. Therefore, the paper investigates the model complexity of the air handling unit in a Norwegian swimming facility by comparing a novel simplified model and a detailed model which serves as a digital replica of a real unit. The simplified decoupled model is found to have an acceptable accuracy for early-stage design, bearing in mind the overall uncertainty at this design stage. However, when carrying out a detailed investigation of a swimming facility, the detailed model should be applied, since this complex heuristic rule-based model, is taking into account phenomena like thermal-coupling effects between the swimming pool and the air handling unit and the control errors of the real internal controller. In conclusion, the paper derives useful guidelines for building performance simulation design of air handling unit, which is the main energy-intensive component in indoor swimming pool facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry plays a vital role in global economic development and is also an important industrial sector affecting global energy consumption. Energy conservation is an important guarantee for global sustainable development. Based on the perspective of embodied energy intensity of the global construction industry, this paper analyzes the reasons behind its high energy consumption. This paper uses a multi-regional structural path analysis model to explore the path of embodied energy intensity (EEI) in the global construction industry. The results show that the 2nd layer is the main path for the EEI in the global construction industry. In contrast, the higher layer plays an increasingly critical role in the EEI of the global construction industry. Its contribution increased by 49.27% during the study period. The construction material supply is the main source in the 2nd layer, and the coke and petroleum product manufacturing and power and gas supply are the main sources in the higher layer. Among the factors driving the inter-temporal change of EEI in the global construction industry, the sector energy intensity effect has a promoting effect on the decline of the EEI in all layers, while the final demand effect and input-output structure effect inhibit the EEI decline. • The 2nd layer is the main path for the EEI in the global construction industry. • The higher layer plays an increasingly critical role in the EEI of the global construction industry. • The construction material supply is the main source in the 2nd layer. • The coke and petroleum product manufacturing and power and gas supply are the main sources in the higher layer. • The final demand effect and input-output structure effect inhibit the EEI decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We analyse wage differences between Chinese and non-Chinese firms in Angola and Ethiopia. • There is scarcity of rigorous quantitative comparative work on working conditions in Chinese firms operating in Africa. • We find that Chinese firms do not consistently pay less than comparable firms. • A combination of individual worker characteristics, sector specificities, and firm attributes other than the national origin, are necessary to explain variations in wages in both countries. This paper analyses wage differences between Chinese and non-Chinese firms in Angola and Ethiopia. The growing engagement of Chinese firms in sub-Saharan Africa has generated debates about the working conditions offered to African workers. However, the evidence for many of the claims made about wages in Chinese firms operating in sub-Saharan Africa is unconvincing. In this paper the authors identify problems with the existing literature and provide new comparative evidence on wages in Chinese, other foreign and domestic firms in Angola and Ethiopia. Drawing on over 1,400 worker-level interviews the authors find that Chinese firms do not consistently pay less than comparable firms. Using a multi-scalar labour regime framework the authors show that a combination individual worker characteristics, sector specificities, and firm attributes are necessary to explain variations in wages in both countries. The national origin of firms by itself cannot explain the observed differences in wages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The path to implementing successful, productive, and sustainable off-site 3D concrete printing building systems is unclear. To provide clarity, this paper aims to determine targeted actions for stakeholders in the construction industry. A systematic literature review and a bibliometric analysis are conducted to identify driver-barriers of Off-site Construction (OSC) and 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP). Thirty-four stakeholder-linked targeted actions are determined and divided into industry, organisational, project, and system levels. The findings indicate the success of off-site 3DCP building systems is not exclusively dependent on the system performance and a variety of actions are required from multiple stakeholders. This paper provides a theoretical foundation for practical actions and further research to implement off-site 3DCP building systems in local construction industries. • Drivers and barriers are identified with a systematic literature review on off-site construction and 3D concrete printing. • A bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer software is performed. • Stakeholders in off-site 3DCP are identified. • Stakeholder-linked targeted actions which aim to enable the development of off-site 3DCP building systems are derived [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• OHS behavior in the construction industry. • Corporate Social Responsibility reports and OHS of construction industry. • Multinational construction companies and OHS issue. • Transparency of OHS issues in construction industry. Introduction: The aim of this paper is to examine Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) behavior in the construction industry through the assessment of Corporate Social Responsibility reports. The level of accident rates in the construction industry place OHS issues at the heart of their strategic management. Method: The assessment of OHS issues was made by drawing appropriate data from the Corporate Social Responsibility reports of 19 multinational construction companies published on a voluntary basis. Results: The findings show a low response rate by the companies sampled to the requirements of stakeholders for responsible organizational behavior and accountability for their consequences. Most of the companies sampled have only focused on a small number of OHS issues to assure the transparency of the information published such as OHS governance, accident and illness rates, training hours, third party assurance, and membership of externally developed OHS charters. Similarly, other important OHS issues seem to be less covered by the companies sampled such as the representation of total workforce in OHS committees, the percentage of high risk occupations, and OHS practices in the supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industry 4.0 and control are critical for major construction organisations, and it has piqued the curiosity of academics all over the globe since the inception of mega project management and up until now. The purpose of this paper is to offer a complete review of this field's research. A bibliometric study of time management and control research published in the Scopus database was carried out in order to identify the most significant publications in the area, as well as the nations that contribute the most to these studies and the most frequently used key terms. For mapping and displaying bibliometric networks, the VOS Viewer was employed. The findings reveal an upward trend in the number of publications in this discipline. And that Australia, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia are the top contributors to mega project and industry 4.0 research. Furthermore, Marcher was the most mentioned author, with 61 citations. Also, the findings indicate a variety of levels of keywords, such as the first, which was linked to industry 4.0 in general, the second, which was relevant to the construction industry, and the third, which was related to project sustainability, and we discovered the rank of human male. These findings may aid academics in better understanding the issue of industry 4.0 in mega projects, as well as expand the area of study in related fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the limited research on the metaverse's application in the construction industry. It aims to investigate how the metaverse can empower construction, identify adoption barriers, and determine the most significant barriers. We propose a novel application framework of construction metaverse based on cyber-physical-social systems, identify 17 barriers using the political-economic-social-technological framework, and employ an expert survey and bi-objective optimization to rank the barriers. Results indicate that scalability, lack of policy incentives, and immature business models are the most critical barriers. The findings provide valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in the construction industry, helping to allocate resources effectively and drive metaverse development. The study's importance lies in its potential to guide successful metaverse integration in construction, leading to improved efficiency and innovation. This research inspires future work on specific metaverse applications in construction and interdisciplinary research to understand and overcome the identified barriers. • We propose a CPSS-based framework for construction metaverse. • We identify the barriers that hinder the construction metaverse application. • We evaluate critical levels of identified barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review systematically introduces the current status and development trend of inorganic industrial solid waste (IISW)-based materials. IISWs have the characteristics of wide sources, large land occupation, low utilization rate, and high environmental risk. In this paper, IISWs from different sources are introduced firstly, including coal (coal fly ash, coal gangue, flue gas desulfurization gypsum), metallurgy (steel slag, blast furnace slag, electrolytic manganese residue, red mud, etc.), chemistry (phosphogypsum, lithium slag), construction (waste glass, ceramic waste), mining (tailings) and other industries. Then the main research progress of IISWs in building material preparation (cement, aggregate, glass, ceramic, road, brick), water/air treatment (catalyst and adsorbent), and soil improvement (fertilizer and remediation agent) is discussed in detail. At the same time, the role of IISWs in material systems and the solidification/stabilization (S/S) mechanisms of heavy metals in IISW-based materials are emphasized. Finally, the challenges of IISWs material utilization are discussed, and prospects for the development of this field are proposed. Overall, the construction industry is expected to achieve large-scale and comprehensive utilization of IISWs, while the research in other fields requires more value-oriented and industrialized exploration. More importantly, the migration and transformation of heavy metals in IISWs during material utilization need full attention. [Display omitted] • Recycling of IISW in material preparation is comprehensively introduced. • Characteristics of IISW and the role IISW played in derived material are summarized. • S/S mechanisms of heavy metals in IISW are emphasized. • Challenges and prospects of IISW-based materials are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The revolutionary impact of Cloud Computing (CC) technologies has been felt across multiple industries for an extended period. Although the construction industry is expanding over time, the role of innovation in construction is significant. However, not all stakeholders know about adopting and implementing CC for better project delivery. Hence, this paper aims to assist construction industry stakeholders in understanding the current challenges associated with using CC in the sector. The relevant literature review was conducted through a systematic data acquisition method to identify the factors in applying CC in the construction industry. The primary aim is to improve understanding of the current state of CC and its use to reduce delays in research and construction operations and to enhance safety in such projects. A survey approach was utilized in this study with the application of SPSS analysis. The outcome shows that CC may potentially improve overall industrial efficiency by gathering and leveraging data to increase productivity throughout the process, from conception to execution to exploitation. The challenges in access to CC can emerge due to various factors, including challenges in internet connectivity, economic considerations, availability of servers and data management. Furthermore, a conceptual framework has been proposed to provide summarised and organised key factors for CC application in construction projects to tackle project delays. However, the overall evaluation of factors of CC brings some encouraging and positive output which may transform the construction industry significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unpredictable event that has had unexpected effects on many countries, including Malaysia. The Government of Malaysia implemented the Movement Control Order (MCO) to restrain the outbreak of the pandemic. As a result, MCO has had a huge impact on various industries in Malaysia, especially the construction industry. Therefore, time and cost become critical components in order to successfully deliver the project and are the factors most affecting by the COVID-19. This paper explores the impact of the main contractor's awareness, perceptions, and readiness for the Covid-19 pandemic. Quota and snowball sampling methods were used. Total of 167 samples were collected and analyzed using SPSS software. This research presents the main contractor's perception and readiness has significant correlation to the pandemic disruption in Malaysia while the main contractor's awareness showing no correlation. The position level of main contractor's traits shows no significant to the pandemic disruption. These results provide evidence that main contractor is significantly affecting by the pandemic disruptions, thus cultivating the main contractor's traits in the construction industry is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition from linear to circular economy is still far from being completed, particularly in the building industry. Indeed, its specific characteristics – such as the fragmentation of its business ecosystem – hinder the implementation of circular economy practices, and, particularly, circular product design and servitization practices. This paper analyses the collaborations among the companies involved in the design and servitization of one of the major elements of a building, the building façade, and it leverages on an action research methodology based on the "Envelope for Service" research project. The role of companies involved in the design and servitization of the circular building façade has been investigated. A novel research framework has been developed to match the circular practices implemented by the ecosystem of involved companies along the useful life phases of the building façade. The research framework highlights the paramount importance of collaborations within the business ecosystem of the building façade and shows how the interactions among companies take place and facilitate circular product design and servitization. We argue and provide evidence that the engagement of the whole business ecosystem is needed in fragmented industries, like the building industry, to implement circular product design and servitization practices. Finally, a hint of the relevance of digital technologies in enabling the implementation of circular practices in such industry is provided. • Building industry's fragmentation hinders the transition towards Circular Economy. • Circular practices have to be implemented by the whole building business ecosystem. • The research framework shows the importance of collaboration within the ecosystem. • The interactions among companies to design a circular product are analyzed. • Action research on a project aimed to building façade's servitization is performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has spurred the development of innovative products, significantly impacting industries reliant on technology-oriented machinery and equipment, notably the construction sector. In response, the Ministry of Works, through CIDB Malaysia, has implemented the Construction Strategy Plan 4.0 (2021 – –2025), grounded in 4IR principles, to facilitate the construction industry's gradual adaptation to technological advancements. Despite its introduction in 2016 to enhance project delivery efficiency and effectiveness, the extent of adoption of advanced 4IR-related technologies and the industry players' awareness of the importance of the Construction 4.0 strategic plan remains largely unexplored. Therefore, this paper examines the awareness and adoption level of CR 4.0 technologies in the Malaysian construction industry through a structured questionnaire survey with all G1-G7 contractors that registered with CIDB Malaysia. Based on 912 valid questionnaire responses received from these contractor grades, it has been identified that the awareness and adoption of most of the contractors in Malaysia on construction 4.0 technologies are predominantly at a semi-automation level. Most of the contractors in Malaysia especially lower grade contractors (

The reliability levels against which seismic standards are calibrated are currently quantified based on accepted practice, which may not lead to optimal designs that minimize the lifecycle cost. Deviation from optimal design is even more pronounced in countries whose regulations are adopted from the few leading codes. A major challenge in the quantification of optimal target reliability for the countries with such adopted codes is the lack of risk models that are suited for the local construction industry and design practices. This paper presents a holistic risk-based framework to quantify the optimal target reliability for seismic design through the notion of minimum lifecycle cost. To enable the implementation of the framework in countries with adopted provisions, the present paper proposes an approach to adapt the available risk models to the local conditions of those countries. The proposed framework is showcased through the National Building Code of Iran, which is adopted from the codes of the United States, using a case study of five residential steel building archetypes. The archetypes have various structural systems and comprise intermediate moment-resisting frame (IMF) buildings of various heights and special concentrically braced frame (SCBF) buildings. The results reveal 50-year optimal target reliability indices of 2.5, 2.0, and 1.9 for low-, mid-, and high-rise IMF buildings and 2.1 for mid-rise SCBF buildings. • Design codes that are adopted with no recalibration suffer from a lack of adequate safety. • Quantifying target reliability for such codes is challenged by lack of risk models suited for local conditions. • A framework is presented that tailors available risk models to the local industry and practices. • It is applied to the building code of Iran using a case study of three building archetypes. • The framework is readily applicable to building codes with adopted regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • In this paper, we report on the process of quantifying carbon emissions for construction projects, including the source and flow of information required from cradle-to-cradle. Among the highlights: • This paper reports common materials and typical stages studied in carbon quantification. • The paper outlines the data needed and data sources for carbon quantification at all stages. • Assumptions made at each stage of the lifecycle were presented. • Transparency in carbon emission quantification is stressed. • The paper suggested adopting technology (BIM, IoT, etc.) to improve carbon quantification. blockchain: The paper suggested adopting technology (BIM, IoT, blockchain, etc.) to improve carbon quantification. Climate change has raised awareness on the need to achieve net-zero carbon emissions and improve the sustainability of buildings. To reduce the complexity of quantifying carbon emissions, there is a need for practical guidance on the quantification of lifecycle carbon emissions from buildings. Existing reviews appear to only focus on part of carbon emissions quantification and are therefore deemed unable to provide an overview of how to quantify the building's whole lifecycle carbon emissions. Hence, this study aims to review the quantification process of carbon emissions from cradle to cradle in the construction industry, which included trends in the materials studied, lifecycle stages studied, quantification methods, common data extraction practises, assumptions made and formulas used to quantify carbon emissions. A systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA methodology. This study identified 699 publications from Scopus and Web of Science, and 65 full-text articles were included in the review. It can be concluded that the current practises lack transparency, which prohibits the comparison of different case studies. Also, all the information required for the quantification of carbon emissions during different stages was specified in detail to guide the carbon quantification process. The review further found that the production stage was the most commonly studied stage in previous research. In cases of missing information, assumptions were made, which were found to be common in practise. The underlying assumptions must be explicitly and thoroughly specified in order to avoid simplification and prevent inaccurate quantification of carbon emissions, and ultimately ensure the effectiveness of low-carbon design strategies. The review also highlighted the challenges in quantifying carbon emissions and proposed that these challenges be addressed by identifying appropriate solutions through the integrated use of digital technologies, such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), the Internet of Things (IOT), and blockchain technology. Adoption of these technologies can lead to better data collection and sharing, increased transparency, secure collaboration among stakeholders, and the potential establishment of standardised methodologies for accurate carbon emissions quantification, all of which can lead to improved energy efficiency management in the built environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housing practices are forcing accelerated demand for natural resources and flow-on effects contribute to severe environmental consequences. Transition to a Circular Economy (CE) offers some respite from this mounting pressure. To date, however, efforts to implement a CE have primarily focused on addressing the technical challenges associated with the long lifespan and complexity of buildings, overlooking the domain of housing. Research suggests that new business models should be developed as a precursor to embracing circularity. The Product-Service System (PSS) is one such promising business model. Yet, it is not well understood from the perspective of circular housing, with the existing literature scattered across several research streams. Using an integrative review approach, this paper investigates the concept of PSS and CE within the context of housing to describe their interrelationships and inform an integrated understanding of PSS as it applies to housing in a CE. A conceptual framework is proposed that discusses the PSS as a potentially viable life cycle approach to promote efficiency, longevity, and sufficiency for creating a CE in housing in three levels of energy, material, and space use. This paper further discusses renewed economic and social value proposition of PSS and how a transition to PSS practices may impact the housing industry's organisational arrangement. Finally, this paper critiques the state of the literature on this phenomenon, reveals gaps, and points to directions for future research, practice, and policy development. • An integrated review of 45 articles from the combined domains of CE and PSS in the context of housing is conducted. • The PSS is identified as a potentially viable life cycle approach for creating a CE in housing. • Industrialisation and digitalisation could facilitate a transition from traditional housing models to PSS. • Systemic and sociotechnical research is recommended to further develop the concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK government is promoting the Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) by presumption in favour due to outperforming traditional methods in meeting key industry goals. Despite the public construction sector's recognition of the benefits, MMC uptake across this influential purchasing power is yet far from satisfactory. Such low adoption rates have been linked to MMC firms' business strategies contributing to public clients' indecision. To investigate such arguments, the study utilises a questionnaire survey and gathers responses from seventy-four decision-makers of UK-established MMC businesses. Results are then discussed in relation to the contingency theory from a Business Model Canvas (BMC) perspective, revealing the divergence between organisations outperforming others in the public sector, i.e. achieving fit. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first construction management study to empirically propose the relationships between the nine business model elements of the BMC in relation to a specific market. The findings of this paper suggest the critical role of the Target Customer element in reaching alignment with the external environment by acting as a receiver and provider of information, superseding the importance of solely focusing on communicating added values and extended capabilities. Our findings also suggest that MMC organisations outperforming others in the UK public sector are those who are understanding public clients' needs the most, and thus, continuously changing their business strategies to sustain alignment with any change in those needs. Overall, the paper proposes a three-dimensional consideration to achieve fit, namely, 1) internal consistency of the elements (inside-out), 2), changing external environment (outside-in), and 3) relationships between the nine elements (inside-in). The study depicts the problematic nature of the internal interrelations responsible for reaching fit in the UK public sector and deepens the understanding of how the nine BMC elements are supporting more informed and strategic decisions. Therefore, decision-makers are urged to pursue alignment by assessing the contingency of each decision made with respect to the proposed influences. Future research to focus on replicating the results in accordance with other theories involving technological and organisational change, maturity, and systems theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaborative approaches to projects are increasingly prominent in the Norwegian construction industry. Project Partnering is one means to collaborative project delivery that is progressively more used. This paper examines how the three project actors: client, contractor, and technical advisors, experienced cooperation in the development phase in a partnering construction project. The case under scrutiny was two jointly developed public projects. The case methodology utilised a survey to collect empirical evidence, and the researchers collected data from 37 respondents distributed among the three actors. The results show that the contractors had the most positive experience, while the client's respondents were the most negative. However, the response from the survey suggests that all the actors were happy with the cross-disciplinary cooperation. Furthermore, the response from the client indicates that their frustration was mainly due to struggles within the client organisation, and not with the other actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global COVID-19 pandemic has been a part of our lives for the second year in a row and it has affected the activities of all economic entities across individual fields and industries. This article deals with research into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on construction companies in the Czech Republic. The research presented in this paper consists of several consecutive steps: designing a research plan, performing data collection and analysis and compiling research results. Qualitative approaches to data collection and evaluation, especially in-depth interviews and the coding method, were used for contextual understanding and comprehension of the situation in the companies under research. Open questions (topics) related to the respondents' experience, perceptions and opinions were created as a part of the preparation process. The aim was to obtain reliable and relevant answers to the questions asked. The research, which lasted for 5 months, involved 16 medium-scale and large companies from the Czech Republic. The aim of the research described in this article was to find out about the development of construction companies in the first half of 2021 and to specify their results in selected areas of activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The fundamental of knowledge sharing and interoperability is the standardization of data semantics. This manuscript proposes an innovative and theoretically supported model for data semantic normalization. • This manuscript studies the basic theory, and proposes the important idea that the key issue of data semantic standardization is conceptual standardization as the core. • A comprehensive study and combing of various vocabulary standards in the international Oil&Gas industry was carried out, and the model used to guide the construction of data semantic standards in the oil and gas industry is proposed. • The process of building standardized knowledge graphs in the fields and a specific example of building a knowledge map in the Oil&Gas industry are given. • The method proposed in this paper is universal and innovative, and it also has application and reference significance in other fields. At present, knowledge graphs in both general and vertical fields rarely consider the problem of data semantic standardization in the process of constructing from a global perspective, which brings trouble and loss to the sharing and interoperability of domain information. Therefore, it is very important to construct a set of standardized and semantically consistent knowledge organization model, and to propose a data semantics standardization methodology on this basis, so as to fundamentally solve this serious problem that hinders data sharing. This paper first proposes a model of data semantic standardization theoretically through the research on knowledge organization, concept triangle and concept logic and other theories, combined with ISO 1087 international standard, and proposes the important idea that the key issue of data semantic standardization is conceptual standardization as the core. Then, based on this theoretical model, a comprehensive study and combing of various vocabulary standards in the international Oil&Gas industry was carried out, and the Oil&Gas industry reference vocabulary standardization model (OIRVSM) used to guide the construction of data semantic standards in the oil and gas industry is proposed. Finally, under the guidance of the W3C best practice framework, combined with the proposed model, an operational algorithm for constructing standardized knowledge graph (ACSKG) in Oil&Gas industry and a construction example are given, which verifies the rationality and correctness of data semantic standardization model and vocabulary standard system model. The two models proposed in this paper are innovative. Although they are proposed in the context of Oil&Gas industry, they also have application and reference significance in other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wall building is labor-intensive and time-consuming as a typical construction task. It is expected to perform this heavy task using robots. However, laborers are still largely employed, mainly because high continuous stacking precision for mobile robots has always been a bottleneck problem. This paper examines the characteristics of continuous robotic stacking in wall-building tasks and finds the key challenge lies in precisely manipulating the robot arm terminal to the target pose and guaranteeing the wall's verticality. We propose an object-based terminal positioning solution for this issue. The core of this solution is establishing a reference coordinate system as a measurement reference and designing a multi-sensor measurement system to measure the relative pose between the robot and the object. The solution allows the robot to reposition multiple times and iteratively correct the terminal's pose, which greatly reduces the impact of positioning errors and loaded deflections of mobile systems on terminal positioning accuracy. Furthermore, we propose for the first time the construction of an active reference feature using a planar laser as a global constraint to provide a consistent reference for establishing reference coordinate systems. Global constraint eliminates the cumulative stacking errors due to relying only on the previously stacked object's reference features for terminal positioning in continuous stacking tasks and guarantees the wall's verticality. Finally, an autonomous mobile stacking robot is developed, and continuous block stacking experiments are conducted with this robot in a laboratory environment simulating real application sites. Experimental results demonstrate that the developed robotic system can achieve millimeter-level stacking accuracy, where a single vertical stack error of 3 mm meets the high requirements of the construction industry. Thus, it is reasonable to believe the proposed solution is extremely competitive compared to existing studies and provides valuable insights for improving the continuous stacking accuracy of mobile robots in large-scale unstructured environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the domain of Automated Compliance Checking (ACC) has gained track, the construction industry has been flooded with different approaches. This paper studies these different approaches for use in compliance checking of construction data. The approaches are compared by defining constraints for the same set of five requirements, each of a different category, stemming from the Flemish building regulation on accessibility. Eight approaches have been selected for comparison: two IFC-based approaches (Solibri Model Checker and the upcoming buildingSMART standard IDS), two general data standards and their accompanying schema definition languages (JSON Schema and XSD), and four Linked Data approaches (OWL, SWRL, SPARQL, and SHACL). Besides the pure functional analysis, the relative uptake and support in tooling are also considered. While XML/XSD and JSON/JSON Schema and the Linked Data approaches are in essence domain-independent, only the latter has an extra layer for agreeing on high-level data modeling (and thus data validation) patterns in the construction domain with the EN17632-1:2022 standard. SHACL is considered the most adept method from the Linked Data approaches since it is fully standardized for both inputs and outputs and was developed for validation use cases. • The Flemish regulation on accessibility exemplifies five constraint categories. • Eight compliance checking approaches are compared by executing the five constraints. • The (dis)advantages of each approach are explained. • Sharing all constraints, datasets, outputs, and code, ensures full reproducibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• GBT-based eigenvalue buckling analyses of thin-walled members with edge-stiffened holes. • Mortar method for connecting XGBT with MITC4 shell finite elements. • XGBT modeling of the unstiffened perforated members and MITC4 shell FE modeling of the stiffeners. • Numerical implementation and validation of the proposed XGBT approach. • Pure buckling mode identification from the coupled buckled shapes for members with edge-stiffened holes. Cold-formed steel sections with edge-stiffened holes exhibit increasing popularity in the building industry. This paper extends the generalized beam theory (GBT) to the scope of handling this kind of members so that modal decomposition of the coupled buckling modes of these members into the set of pure buckling modes can be realized, which is essential for a direct strength method (DSM)-based design. The presented GBT formulation is built upon the XGBT approach that was previously proposed by the authors (Duan and Zhao, 2021; Duan et al., 2022; Duan and Zhao, 2022) [1–3] for handling the un-stiffened perforated steel profiles, but its novelty lies in the scheme used to connect the previous approach to the MITC4 shell FEs. Specifically, the previous GBT-based beam FEs are employed to handle the perforated member but without stiffeners, and the MITC4 shell FEs are used to model the stiffeners along the hole edges; further, the mortar method-based interface elements are employed to weakly ensure the compatibility between the shell and the GBT-based FEs no matter how mismatched their meshes are. Three illustrative examples are presented to show the potential of the proposed approach, where linear buckling analysis results for the members with circular holes obtained by the present GBT are compared with those obtained by the ANSYS shell FE analyses. The presented approach shows advantages in computational costs and interpretability of the obtained results over the shell model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advancements in robotics and human–machine interfaces enable new collaborative procedures that combine the strengths of machines and humans. Compared to existing automation technologies in the timber prefabrication industry, human–robot collaboration (HRC) offers new possibilities for increased flexibility and productivity. This paper aims to map out the challenges and opportunities for HRC within the context of timber prefabrication by constructing a conceptual framework. The framework is based on three pillars: (1) existing HRC theories and frameworks, (2) a literature review of HRC research in robotic timber fabrication, and (3) perspectives of human labour in the timber construction industry. The relevant topics among these three areas are triangulated to construct a conceptual framework that bridges the system-, design-, and human-centred considerations. The framework serves as an organising device to support future explorations and research on human–robot collaboration in robotic timber construction. • An integrative approach embeds HRC design in the context of timber prefabrication. • Data is triangulated from system, design, and human perspectives. • Study reveals gaps in existing work and promising directions for future research. • The conceptual framework serves descriptive, evaluative, and generative use for HRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The curtain wall construction industry is one of the most popular industries with excellent development prospects. On the other hand, curtain wall installation is mainly performed manually, which has the disadvantages of great danger and low efficiency. Therefore, this study designed a method for curtain wall frame detection based on computer vision to assist curtain wall installation in completing positioning and installation tasks. This paper presents a deep learning method with two input streams and cross-modal feature fusion based on the encoder-decoder structure (CWFD-net) to detect curtain wall frames accurately. In particular, the high-level semantic features of the RGB and Depth streams in the encoder stage are fused to generate RGB-D features to achieve preliminary cross-modal feature fusion, which makes input information include more curtain wall frame features. The coordinate attention mechanism enables the network to focus more on the position information of the curtain wall frame. A cross-stage feature fusion strategy was adopted in the decoder stage to enhance the features further and suppress interference factors. A dataset containing curtain wall frame images of different styles in various curtain wall construction scenarios was established to verify the effectiveness of this method, which is trained, validated, and tested with this dataset. The experimental results show that the detection performance of the proposed method is superior to the commonly used segmentation or detection methods, which achieves the highest mIoU 87.33%, Accuracy 96.98%, Recall 92.28%, F1-Score 87.66%, and the lowest 95-HD 6.13. This model is expected to be deployed and applied to curtain wall installation robots. • Present a two inputs encoder-decoder structure network for curtain wall frame detection under several construction sites. • Propose feature fusion strategy in encoder, intermediate, and decoder stage for feature representation ability. • Create a dataset containing 1547 RGB and Depth images of curtain wall frames in 5 construction sites of various scenarios. • CWFD-net outperforms other relative segmentation and salient object detection networks in self-built dataset in accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bio-based concrete, which utilizes recycled agricultural waste as aggregates, has emerged as a sustainable alternative material in the construction industry. Optimizing its combined mechanical and thermal performance can promote its environmental and energy benefits. To achieve this, this paper presents a multi-objective optimization approach to improve the overall performance of bio-based concrete based on multiscale structural features, considering the porosity, shape, orientation, and volume fraction. Optimization strategies are provided for three main industrial applications. Furthermore, this study addresses multiple design requirements, including high-volume bio-aggregates, more demanding performance requirements, low densities, and humid environments. The optimization results demonstrate that the optimal solution varies with industrial applications and requirements. Consequently, we quantitatively provide specific optimal solutions for each case, and offer designers three preferences for mechanical properties, insulation, or balanced performance. Overall, this study optimizes the comprehensive performance of bio-based concrete in terms of multiscale structures, thereby contributing to a more sustainable construction industry. • A customized multi-objective optimization approach for bio-based concrete. • Decision variables of shape, porosity, volume fraction, and orientation. • Differences in high-volume bio-aggregates, lightweight roofing, and humid environment. • Three preferences for mechanical performance, insulation, and balanced performance. • Optimal solutions for various industrial applications, requirements, and preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Identifying digital transformation barriers in construction industry. • Introducing the loss function adopted in PEA in COG. • Obtaining the ranking of barriers using dynamic COG and PEA. • Applying the SNA to derive the weight vector of barriers. • Establishing the COG-PEA-SNA framework using the Nash equilibrium. The absence of a reliable, dynamic evaluation system has impeded early-stage industrial research progress, particularly in the digital transformation of the construction industry. Moreover, existing research studies rarely explore the impact of digitalt transformation barriers considering the interplays among them. This paper aims to introduce an innovative framework to generate dynamic collective opinions for barrier analysis in such context. The proposed dynamic collective opinion generation framework comprises three key components: Collective Opinion Generation, Prediction with Expert Advice (PEA), and Social Network Analysis. Its goal is to provide dependable decision support when subjective evaluation data from experts is available. Initially, a bi-objective optimization model generates the initial barrier weight vector. The PEA incorporates a loss function to measure the deviation between aggregated probablity density function and actual observed data, updating the weight vector over time. Next, an influence network covering all barriers is established. Node significance is evaluated through metrics like degree centrality, closeness centrality, and eigenvector centrality. The gravity model based on three metrics is used to determine interrelationships among barriers, resulting in a weight vector capturing these interplays. The two weight vectors are combined with Nash equilibrium, yielding the ultimate weight vector for barriers. The effectiveness of the proposed dynamic collective opinion generation framework is showcased through a case study on China Construction Third Bureau. Results indicate that talent structure notably influences construction companies' digital transformation. Additionally, market structure and strategic position significantly impact digital transformation in this industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A skilled workforce is essential for producing high quality construction work, efficiently and effectively. This paper is formulated to improve the understanding and knowledge surrounding the skill shortage currently being faced within the UK, and the significant impact it is having on quality management. It surrounds around each main area, and the impacts of recent years: Brexit, Covid-19 and ageing workforce. A mixed method approach was applied to collect data from the quantitative and qualitative sources. The quantitative survey data was collected through snowball sampling from the 130 construction professionals working the UK construction industry. Moreover, a case study has been conducted on a large-scale construction project located in the Northeast of England where the outcome of these issues can be seen in all aspects of the work. Training and development are the fundamental issues highlighted during the literature review and then subsequently expressed by participants of the surveys. In addition, the moderation analysis also provides the important role of training and development in reducing the negative impacts of COVID-19 and Brexit towards quality management. However, it was also revealed that the training and development are not useful for the aging workforce in combating the skilled shortage challenges towards quality management system in the construction industry. This research will allow the industry to understand the need for a skilled workforce and how it benefits the quality management elements of a construction project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]