• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.1463-1467
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• 2009

Construction projects are vulnerable to diverse internal and external factors, requiring systematic and consistent performance management along the entire life cycle of a project. In particular, urban renewal projects have a range of performance measures, including policy reconciliation and permits, project development, project financing, design, construction, and occupancy and maintenance. This requires a program-level megaproject approach, which integrates each stage of a project as well as variety of stakeholders' interests in pursuing a project from different perspectives. However, previous research on performance management has focused especially on the limited scopes of factors, including cost, quality, and schedule at the project level or on financial factors at the firm level. Given the lack of current approaches, this study suggests an integrated and systematic performance management scheme to control urban renewal megaprojects at the broadened perspectives of the program level. To this end, this study adopts the balanced scorecard approach and elicits key performance indices associated with various project configurations. Finally, an algorithm is presented for quantitatively assessing the level of performances along whole life cycle of urban renewal megaprojects.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2007.03a
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• pp.653-661
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• 2007

Overseas construction projects tend to be more complex than domestic projects, being exposed to more external risks, such as politics, economy, society, and culture, as well as more internal risks from the project itself. It is crucial to have an early understanding of the project condition, in order to be well prepared in various phases of the project. This study compares a structural equation model and multiple regression analysis, in their capacity to predict cost performance of international construction projects. The structural equation model shows a more accurate prediction of cost performance than does regression analysis, due to its intrinsic capability of considering various cost factors in a systematic way.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.324-329
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• 2011

Significant decisions are made by the project team during the early planning phase of capital facility project developments. The preproject planning phase begins after a decision is made to proceed with a project concept and continues until the detail design stage. Many of the industry practitioners and researchers have recognized the importance of preproject planning and that inadequate early planning is one of the key factors affecting project success. Nevertheless, the preproject planning practices vary significantly for the construction industry in Taiwan and the quality of preproject planning relies heavily on individual project team's experience. This research sets out to benchmark the preproject planning practice for the building construction industry in Taiwan. From late 2007 to early 2010, the researchers collected information from a total of 92 building construction projects using questionnaire survey. The analysis results show that the surveyed projects with better preproject planning have better cost and schedule performances on average. It is recommended that project team spend more efforts in the preproject planning stage to have a better chance of achieving project success.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.928-934
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• 2009

Although the evolution and deployment of information technologies will undoubtedly play an important role in the current construction industry, many engineers are still unsure of the economic value of using these technologies. Especially for the planning of a construction project, a collaboration system to utilize the whole resources is a essential tool for the successful outcome. A detailed, authoritative, and readily accessible information model is needed to enable engineers to make cost-effective decisions among established and innovative plan alternatives. Most engineers rely on limited private experiences when they create solutions or design alternatives. Initial planning is crucial for the success of the construction project. Most construction projects are done through collaboration of engineers who have different specialized knowledge. Information technologies can dramatically enhance the performance of the collaboration. For the information delivery, we need a mediator between engineers. Object-based 3-D models are useful for the communication and decision assistance for the intelligent project design. In this paper, basic guidelines for the 3-D design according to different construction processes are suggested. Adequate interoperability of 3-D objects from any CAD system is essential for the collaboration. Basic architectures of geometry models and their information layer were established to enable interoperability for design checks, estimation and simulation. A typical international project for roadway was chosen for the pilot project. 3-D GIS model was created and bridge information models were created considering several requirements for planning and decision making of the project. From the pilot test, the integrated construction project planning using 3-D information models was discussed and several guidelines were suggested.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.1414-1418
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• 2009

International construction projects typically manifest difficult, complex, and varied types of risk exposures; because of this, there is a need for accurate evaluation of risk-integrated performances during the timeframe of project execution. Given the financial crisis currently affecting the world economy recession, risk management has become a more crucial part for the success of international project management. However, the majority of risk management approaches, particularly for overseas projects, are focused primarily on simple forms of checklists, formalization of risk variables affecting project performance for a specific phase, or more complicated computational methods that restricting practical utilization in real-world projects; moreover, these methods lack the conceptual basis to broadly visualize the level of risk over all phases of a project. This study suggests an efficient, yet simple risk-integrated total index to successfully assess the risk levels of overseas construction projects. To this end, this paper first investigates the life cycles and key processes of decision-making for a given project and then derives formulas to represent the total risk index (TRI) along the key decision-making processes. In addition, the study examines the relationships between TRI and performance levels based on the analysis of 126 real-world project samples. Validations using the proposed TRI showed a high correlation to project performance, signifying the usefulness of the proposed approach for construction firms when investigating the level of risks and key areas for management focus.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.280-285
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• 2011

This study aims to propose an assessment model on environmental economics which will provide useful information in making a decision for the implementation of pro-environmental and economical construction projects. To meet the objective, this study suggests a procedure to estimate environmental cost of construction projects. The model combines environmental load assessment and environmental value assessment. The environmental cost of pollutant generated from the construction project was estimated utilizing the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) which is a value assessment method borrowed from economic science. The devised model is expected to provide a useful methodology that will scientifically support the planning and management of sustainable construction not only in the environmental aspect but also in the economical aspect.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2015.10a
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• pp.6-9
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• 2015

Traditional project management theory is based on a three-dimensional life cycle approach where the project managerseeks to optimize the dimensions of cost-schedule-technical (quality or design). This paper reports the findings of a case study analysis of two complex mega-projects in Michigan which confirm the findings of previous research and illustrates the use of a framework for five-dimensional project management (5DPM) that is for conceptualizing a complex project's scope of work. The framework elevates the recognition that the project's social/political context and the financial arrangements create complexity adding two new dimensions. This paper also demonstrates a methodology to graphically display a project's complexity to better understand and prioritize the available resources. The result is a "complexity footprint" that may help a complex project manager identify the boundary between controllable and uncontrollable projects impacts. The paper finds that applying 5DPM to the two case study projects has given the project delivery team a tool which is actually adding value to the complex project management process.

• Journal of Construction Engineering and Project Management
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2020

With the increased dependence on subcontracting in the construction industry, the operational relationship between main contractors and subcontractor plays an imperative role in successful project delivery. Consequently, improving this relationship increases the probability of project success and enhancing project performance. A wide range of research has confirmed that partnering improves the main contractor-subcontractor relationship. Though the positive impact of partnering on project performance is supported by a plethora of evidence, the guiding theory on practical partnering process steps is limited. The study aimed at improving subcontracting in the construction industry through a partnering process relevant to Zambia guided by factors obtained from industry expects. Questionnaire surveys and Semi-structured interview were adopted to investigate the perception of construction industry professionals and academics towards the main contractor-subcontractor relationship along with improvement factors. The findings showed that the relationship between main contractors and subcontractors on most projects in Zambia is unsatisfactory therefore justifying attention. Top factors that can enhance the main contractor-subcontractor relationship were identified. From the factors deduced and guidelines on partnering best practices, a project partnering model was developed.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2015.10a
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• pp.213-216
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• 2015

Despite the significant increase of Korean contractors in the international construction market, many SMCCs (Small & Medium Construction Companies) have suffered in the global financial crisis, and some of them have been kicked out of the international market after experiencing huge losses on projects. SMCCs face obstacles in the international market, such as an insufficient ability to gather information and inappropriate management of associated risks, which lead to difficulties in establishing effective business strategies. In other words, making immature decisions without an effective business strategy may cause not only the failure of one project but also the bankruptcy of the SMCC. To overcome this, the research presented herein aims to propose a decision support system for SMCCs, which would screen projects and make a go/no-go decision at the early stages of international projects. The proposed system comprises a double axis: (1) a profit prediction model, which evaluates 10 project properties using an objective methodology based on a historical project performance database and roughly suggests expected profit rate, and (2) a feasibility assessment model, which evaluates 17 project environment factors in a subjective and quantitative methodology based on experience and supervision. Finally, a web-based system is established to enhance the practical usability, which is expected to be a good reference for inexperienced SMCCs to make proper decisions and establish effective business strategies.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2022.06a
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• pp.179-187
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• 2022

The project performances can be measured in terms of meeting the project schedule, budget, and conformance to functional and technical specifications. Numerous studies have been conducted to examine the causes and effects of change orders for both vertical and horizontal construction, respectively. However, these studies mainly focus on a single project type, so this paper examines the impact of change order for cost growth and schedule overruns using four different building types to close the gap in the change order research area. A total of 211 building projects are collected from four building types: healthcare, residential, office, and education. Statistical analyses using ANOVA tests and linear regression models are used to examine the created metric $CO/day on the cost and schedule impacts. The results found that mean $CO/day values were not statistically different among building types, and that the sum of change orders is a statistically significant predictor of $CO/day. The results will help project stakeholders mitigate the negative change orders effects can be a challenge for project managers and researchers alike.