AHFE Open AccessSustainable Construction in the Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Editors: Clinton Aigbavboa, Emmanuel Oke, Wellington Thwala
Topics: Sustainable Urban Planning and Infrastructure
Publication Date: 2024
ISBN: 978-1-964867-25-0
DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1005268
Articles
Using the UN SDGs and the ESG Index towards the development of a Unified Building Information Modelling Language and Culture for Sustainable Construction
The Building Information Modelling (BIM) concept was invented in the last ten years to bridge the technological gap between the construction sector and other sectors and contribute to the sustainability targets of the built environment. However, it seems that there is a significant difference in the application and adaptation of the BIM technology between organizations and countries as well. This paper addresses these key BIM challenges and identifies technological and cultural requirements for developing a Unified BIM Language & Culture (UBIML-C) that can enhance the implementation and adaptation process of BIM technology. Furthermore, it indicates the integration and alignment of UBIML-C with the UN SDGs and the ESG index to highlight the direct return on the effort and investment placed to implement UBIML-C. The paper introduces a preliminary process framework for the adaptation and operations of UBIML-C in terms of knowledge elicitation, technology and process execution, performance metrics, and its alignment with the UN SDGs and the ESG Index.
Evangelos Markopoulos, Panagiotis Markopoulos, Akash Nandi, Tong Wu, Kui Zhao, Mascha Samkova, Menglei Huang
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Integrating Digital Twins into the Metaverse for Dynamic and Computer-Human Interactive Building Information Modelling
Digital Twins and the Metaverse are upcoming technologies that are each associated with several promising potential applications within many industries, one of which is the construction industry; more specifically, these technologies have significant potential applications to improve built environments consisting of Building Information Monitoring (BIM) systems. This paper analyses the integration of Digital Twins and the Metaverse into such built environments by highlighting their dynamic gathering, evaluation, and contribution of human-centric behavioural information to Building Information Modelling systems. Information of this type can impact critical decisions in the implementation strategy and management of any type of project within a built environment. The paper presents such a technology integration, and its system architecture indicates expected performance metrics and emphasizes the need for dynamic computer-human interactive data collection, evaluation and transmission into a BIM system. It also highlights the alignment of such a human-centric BIM approach with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that impact the built environment. Furthermore, we delineate the pre and post-conditions of applying this integrated technology, discuss presently-existing research limitations, and outline areas of further research.
Panagiotis Markopoulos, Evangelos Markopoulos, Akash Nandi, Jussi Kantola
Open Access
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Strategies to Improve BIM Usage Among Professionals In The Construction Industry
BIM is an emerging technology in the construction sector used by construction professionals for the collaborative process of using a computer-generated model that manages information for the entire construction project lifecycle. This study assesses strategies to improve BIM usage among professionals in the construction industry. Structured questionnaires were distributed through systematic random sampling techniques to 70 construction professionals within Gauteng province in South Africa to collect data on factors affecting BIM usage among professionals in the construction industry. Data collected through the questionnaire were computed using a descriptive statistical approach. Through the use of a statistical data equation, a valid mean item score was determined in the study. The result of the study indicated that providing continuous training, BIM skills development programmes, Education of construction personnel, effective implementation of acquired BIM skills, and embracing the BIM requirements in the construction supply chain were the highest-ranked strategies to improve BIM usage among professionals in the construction industry. The study concluded that professionals in the construction industry should consider attending local and international workshops on BIM to better understand new areas in its applications for construction activities.
Babatunde Fatai Ogunbayo, Clinton Aigbavboa, Samuel Adekunle
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Challenges in the Implementation of Modern Methods of Construction, Including Construction 3D Printing, in South Africa: A Comprehensive Examination of Products Performance
South Africa's national building regulations currently accommodate conventional building products compliant with specified standards in South African National Standards. Additionally, provisions are made for Innovative Building Technologies (IBT), including Modern Methods of Construction and Construction 3D Printing, which must adhere to Agrèment South Africa's performance requirements. These IBTs undergo rigorous certification processes encompassing structural strength, stability, fire resistance, and thermal performance assessments. While various IBTs have received certification and found application in housing, schools, and clinics, a gap persists in translating research and knowledge into widespread implementation. This paper focuses on establishing a knowledge base for IBT building walling products, particularly those related to Modern Methods of Construction and Construction 3D Printing, certified by Agrèment SA. The research methodology involves data collation and analysis from Agrèment SA, categorizing products based on building occupancy and performance through a stratification process. Validation of certificate data was conducted through interactions with system owners. The study also reviews challenges hindering the implementation of some certified products, emphasizing the specific context of Modern Methods of Construction and Construction 3D Printing. The paper concludes with a recommendation for a conceptual framework integrating research, knowledge dissemination, innovation, government involvement, and market diffusion to address these challenges and facilitate effective implementation.
Jeffrey Mahachi
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Systematic Review of the Application Challenges of Virtual Reality for Facilities Management in the South African Construction Industry
Amidst global disruptions in the construction industry, the adoption of innovative technologies is imperative for enhancing efficiency and productivity. Virtual Reality (VR) emerges as a crucial tool in transforming Facilities Management (FM) communication and providing immersive experiences. However, the South African construction industry faces specific challenges, including the cost of VR equipment, lack of standardization, specialized skills requirement, and limited awareness among facilities managers. Addressing these challenges is essential for unlocking VR's potential in construction FM. This study employs a systematic review methodology to shed light on these challenges, emphasizing the multifaceted nature of financial barriers, standardization issues, the need for specialized skills, and awareness gaps. Recommendations encompass cost reduction, standardized applications, training programs, and awareness campaigns. Despite challenges, VR presents opportunities to revolutionize South African construction FM, with advancing technology and successful implementations expected to drive accessibility and demand for tailored solutions in the future.
Oluwaseun Raimi, Babatunde Fatai Ogunbayo, Clinton Aigbavboa
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Validating critical factors affecting national safety incentives policy for the construction industry in developing countries
A national safety incentive policy is a mix of policy instruments and strategies outlining the rules, templates, and standard procedures for designing and implementing safety incentives within a country. Through a Delphi study, this study assesses critical factors affecting the development of a national safety incentives policy for the construction industry in developing countries using Nigeria as a case study. A qualitative technique was adopted using the Delphi technique to select a representative sample of expert panellists for the study. The Delphi findings indicate fifteen (15) identified factors affecting the development of a national safety incentives policy in Nigeria. Of these fifteen (15) identified factors, six (6) had a very high impact (VHI: 9.00 – 10.00), four (6) had a high impact (HI: 7.00 - 8.99), and the remaining three (3) factors recorded a medium impact (MI: 5.00 - 6.99). The study's key findings reveal that the leading critical factors affecting developing countries, including Nigeria, in developing a national safety incentives policy include weak institutional framework, occupational safety and health agency’s corrupt practices, stakeholders’ absence in policy development, insufficient government budget for occupational safety and health agency, ineffective H&S code of practice, absence of national safety incentive vision, political influence on occupational safety and health enforcement agency, inadequate regulatory framework, ineffective occupational safety and health policy enforcement, and ineffective occupational safety and health policies. This study concluded by calling for a standalone national safety incentive policy that will holistically support the implementation of safety incentives within the construction industry.
Kunle Elizah Ogundipe, Clinton Aigbavboa, Babatunde Fatai Ogunbayo
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Gender Gap in the Construction Industry’s Consultancy: Is this a Threat to Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5?
The target date for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5, one of the 2030 UN Agenda [Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)], is fast approaching. Studies have shown that the construction industry has a role in achieving many SDGs, including Goal 5 in developing countries. However, studies regarding achieving Goal 5 (Gender Equality) in the industry regarding female consultancy participation are scarce and complexly interrelated because of societal problems and divergence. Thus, this study aims to investigate factors hindering gender equality in construction consultants’ career growth and suggest measures to encourage more female construction consultants through policy to achieve Goal 5 in Nigeria. The study adopted face-to-face data collection via a qualitative mechanism. This is an ongoing study. The first phase covered Lagos, Nigeria, and adopted a thematic approach to analyse the collected data. The perceived major encumbrances facing Nigerian construction consultants regarding gender equality are religious/cultural, family/marital, marginalised identities, microaggressions, absence of career advancement, absence of mentors/role models, consultancy fees discrimination (gender pay gap), bullying and discrimination, and lax equity and inclusion. Achieving Goal 5 will be a mirage if these issues are not addressed. Thus, the study recommended measures to motivate females to study construction-related programmes and employment opportunities, including consultancy services slots through policy mechanisms to achieve Goal 5. As part of the implications, the study identifies major hindrances facing female Nigerian construction consultants and proffers measures to improve gender equality to achieve Goal 5.
Andrew Ebekozien, Clinton Aigbavboa, Mohamad Samsurijan, Mohamed Ahmed, Samuel Adekunle, Opeoluwa Akinradewo, Matthew Ikuabe, Angeline Nwaole
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Matter by Design. How can circular economy play a role in building green efficient and sustainable through innovative use of Mediterranean materials.
The shift towards a circular economy, moving away from the traditional linear "take, make, dispose" model, has gained momentum due to its potential for fostering green, efficient, and sustainable practices. Particularly in the Mediterranean region, characterized by its rich history, diverse ecosystems, and unique resources, there is a promising opportunity to implement these principles in construction and design methods.The Mediterranean abounds in resources from cork to ceramics, offering a diverse set of raw materials that can be sustainably harnessed. The challenge is to reimagine how these materials are sourced, processed, utilized, and eventually repurposed or recycled. Leveraging technology innovation, a product of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, may revitalize these traditional Mediterranean materials.One significant aspect of building a circular economy in the Mediterranean is the integration of traditional craftsmanship and techniques. Local artisans, who have been working with materials like cork and clay for generations, can blend these time-honoured methods with modern technology to create innovative products.This paper describes a project aimed at activating collective memory and cultural identity as a reference for design activity, fostering critical thinking to drive urban communities towards including Mediterranean materials in green building development. The project involves the conception and development of a modular-based product that incorporates both active and passive solar functions with aesthetic characteristics. The goal was to create a solar experimental product for cladding building surfaces (vertical and non-vertical façades), combining parts with passive solar characteristics—including solar protection elements, solar thermal energy storage, ventilated walls, and Trombe wall effects—with active solar parts such as solar thermal collectors and photovoltaic systems.The modular-based solar cladding product successfully improved energy efficiency and contributed to reducing the building's overall energy consumption. The incorporation of locally-sourced Mediterranean materials, such as cork, not only enhanced the sustainability of the product but also promoted the use of indigenous resources.In conclusion, the circular economy, when applied in conjunction with the innovative use of Mediterranean materials, can lead to a greener, more efficient, and sustainable future. By valuing and reimagining traditional craftsmanship, harnessing the potential of diverse resources, and embracing cutting-edge recycling technologies, the Mediterranean region can become a showcase for circular economy success, demonstrating how environmental stewardship and economic prosperity can go hand in hand.
Ana Cardoso, Raquel Salomé
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Empowering Sustainable Urban Futures: Exploring the Temporary Use of Community In-Between Spaces
In the pursuit of sustainable built environments, this paper delves into the innovative realm of Temporary Use (TU) strategies within communities in-between spaces. Urban spaces evolve entities and the efficient utilization of transitional spaces which holds immense potential for fostering community engagement, environmental stewardship, and economic resilience. This paper, using the case study method, aims to explore the multifaceted dimensions of TU practices, emphasizing their role in redefining the dynamics of urban living.Under the framework of TU, the research team conducted several on-field projects to explore and test the impact of TU in the KIC community in Shanghai from 2022 to 2023. From these cases, this discourse encompasses diverse perspectives, ranging from different types of TU and discusses their strategies and sustainable impact. By scrutinizing these case studies and ongoing projects, we aim to decipher the strategies that transform leftover or in-between spaces into vibrant community hubs. These spaces present opportunities for fostering social cohesion, promoting sustainable practices, and catalyzing economic development. This paper not only contributes to academic discourse but also provides practical guidance for policymakers and urban planners striving to create resilient, vibrant, and sustainable urban environments.
Duan Wu, Haoyue Lei, Mingjie Zhu, Yuhong Ma
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
A fresh glance at environmental ergonomics: a systematic review of human-environment interaction concepts and approaches
The WHO's European Charter on Environment and Health emphasizes the importance of a clean and harmonious environment for good health and wellbeing, considering various factors such as physical, psychological, social, and aesthetic elements. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the role of physical space in relation to people's wellbeing and tasks, highlighting the impact of the environment on psychophysical health and human-system interactions. It focuses on the concept of environmental ergonomics, which analyzes how environmental features can support or hinder human activities and the wellbeing of its inhabitants. The paper also discusses the shift in the understanding of how spatial and environmental qualities influence wellbeing over time, emphasizing the need for clarity on various factors such as satisfaction, aesthetics, ergonomics, and performance. Furthermore, it outlines a twofold approach to assessing and designing people-centered physical spaces, considering both technical variables and spatial experience. The paper provides a systematic review of key concepts to build a sort of tool kit for the environmental ergonomist, ranging from affordance and usability, mental models and wayfinding, urban landscape, topophilia and placemaking, Post Occupancy Evaluation, multisensory, biophilia, neuroarchitecture. Finally, practical examples of environmental ergonomics application are presented, such as: healing environments, buildings for people with specific needs, environments to reduce human error, buildings to move in, emergency evacuation, smart buildings and smart cities, environments for healthy living, environments for learning and creativity.
Gabriella Duca
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Fundamental Study on Requirements for Old RC Piers to Continue to be used without Seismic reinforcement
Many older RC piers in Japan have stepped section (referred to as the cut-off section) where the amount of longitudinal reinforcement decreases in response to cross-sectional forces. In such piers, the cover concrete may delaminate at the cut-off section during a major earthquake.When damage progresses at the cut-off section of the axial rebar, RC piers are deformed so that they bend above the cut-off section. RC piers damaged at the cut-of section have inferior deformation performance compared to those damaged at base. Therefore, it is now a common design practice to avoid damage at the cut-off section of piers.In the current Japanese design method, the anchorage length of steel bars anchored in the middle of piers should be about 50φ, or axial steel bars should not be anchored in the middle of piers. In the case of existing piers where these design methods are not applied, the cut-off section are reinforced by wrapping steel plates or other materials. In this study, cyclic positive and negative loading tests were conducted on pier specimens with cut-off section, and dynamic response analysis was conducted for each soil type based on the test results.The analysis results showed that non-linear response spectrum were obtained for different yielding positions, and that response seismic yielding coefficient could be generally evaluated. This shows that for a given natural period and seismic yielding coefficient, it is possible for piers to withstand a large earthquake even if they yield at cut-off section.
Hisako Kobayashi, Hiroyoshi Kiku, Ryo Sawada
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Experience Elements of User Feedback for Air Conditioning Systems in Office Buildings Based on Context Theory
The energy-efficient operation of air conditioning systems in office buildings plays a crucial role in the creation of sustainable built environment as well as the low-carbon development in the building sector. To achieve the goal of energy conservation without comfort penalty, it is desirable that relevant information from system users can be accurately collected through the user feedback method, thereby improving the system’s operation performance. The successful usage of this method is heavily dependent on system users’ experience which allows users to actively provide feedback. However, so far very few studies have given sufficient consideration to the user feedback experience of air conditioning systems in office buildings. Consequently, such experience is still poorly understood, and this hinders designers from developing effective strategies for designing corresponding tools with the goal of improving user feedback experience. To address this issue, this paper first analyzes the current status and characteristics of user feedback for air conditioning systems in office buildings. Then, the context theory is employed to analyze and define the experience elements of user feedback from the perspectives of user, environment, task, and product contexts. Based on the above analysis, the mutual influences between these experience elements are examined, and typical design strategies for the user feedback are further developed. Our future work will focus on validating the effectiveness of these experience elements and design strategies in improving user feedback experience by conducting design practices and tests.
Xin-yue Li, Jun Zhang, Zhun Yu
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Measures for improving building information modelling adoption in small and medium-sized enterprises in the Nigerian construction industry
The sustainable growth of small and medium-sized enterprises in the construction industry depends on adopting modern technologies such as building information modelling (BIM). Improving BIM adoption in construction SMEs is crucial for the construction industry's overall development. Quantitative data was collected in a study involving 182 participants out of 200 distributed questionnaires. IBM SPSS 26 was used for descriptive and exploratory factor analysis, with the KMO and Bartlett’s tests to assess data reliability. The study identified four key factors from 19 measures to improve BIM adoption in Nigerian construction SMEs: increased knowledge transfer among stakeholders, guiding principles for BIM implementation, enhanced social networks among BIM stakeholders, and supportive policies and incentives. Recommendations include sustained knowledge transfer among construction professionals, government incentives for BIM projects, supportive policies, raising awareness to boost client demand, and training construction stakeholders through professional affiliations
Olusayo Bamgbose, Babatunde Fatai Ogunbayo, Clinton Aigbavboa
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Appraising Construction Practitioners' Preparedness to Mitigate Climate Change in Nigeria: The Way Forward
Studies have shown continuous global warming and climate change may threaten construction stakeholders, including construction practitioners especially in developing countries like Nigeria. There is a paucity of literature regarding construction practitioners’ preparedness to mitigate climate change. Hence, Thus, this study explored construction practitioners’ preparedness level to mitigate climate change in Nigeria. A qualitative research method was adopted through face-to-face interviews. The researchers engaged 17 participants from Abuja and Benin City, and saturation was achieved. The study analysed collated data manually and presented findings in the thematic pattern. Findings reveal that Nigerian construction practitioners’ level of preparedness is weak and may have challenges coping with the impacts of climate change on the industry. This is an on-going study. Therefore, as part of the study’s contribution, feasible and integrated regulatory policies should be encouraged to mitigate the impacts of climate change on practitioners. This includes climate change sensitisation, prioritising practices to achieve sustainable project transformation, and integrating climate change interventions.
Andrew Ebekozien, Clinton Aigbavboa, Mohamad Samsurijan, Mohamed Ahmed, Samuel Adekunle, Opeoluwa Akinradewo, Andrew Awo-osagie
Open Access
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