http://hdl.handle.net/10397/49 Search the Channel search http://repository.lib.polyu.edu.hk/jspui/simple-search http://hdl.handle.net/10397/5683 Title: Do construction workers accept automated monitoring? : a study on the acceptance level and its antecedents<br/><br/>Authors: Lee, Lap Piu<br/><br/>Abstract: The use of Automatic Data Collection (ADC) technologies in the construction industry has become uncommon in recent years. One of them is automated construction monitoring, which could collect and visualize site activities effectively, including the behaviors of workers. Although there is an increasing trend to adopt automated monitoring systems in the industry, no or very little research was done to investigate whether construction workers accept automated monitoring. This thesis endeavored to bridge the literature gap between automated construction monitoring and the perceptions of the workers being monitored. A research model was proposed to examine the potential antecedents and moderators that could influence construction workers' intention of the acceptance where the constructs of the model were adopted from previous research about workplace monitoring with appropriate refinements in order to suit construction environments and practices. A face-to-face, one-to-one survey was conducted to collect the data from construction workers. After data analysis, it was found that both antecedents "organizational identification" and "organizational commitment" positively influenced construction workers' intention to accept automated monitoring. Interestingly, a proposed antecedent "attitudes towards the appropriateness of automated monitoring" was found negatively affecting the acceptance intention, which is not coherent with previous studies about workplace monitoring that suggesting the relationship as positive. Moreover, the proposed moderator "belief of monitoring systems for caring purposes" was found insignificant to affect any relationship. Finally explanations for both supported and unsupported antecedents, research limitations, implications for the practice of automated construction monitoring, and future research are discussed.<br/><br/>Description: 137 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm.; PolyU Library Call No.: [THS] LG51 .H577P BRE 2012 Lee http://hdl.handle.net/10397/5508 Title: Optimizing construction planning and scheduling by virtual prototyping enabled resource analysis<br/><br/>Authors: Chan, Kang Yuen<br/><br/>Abstract: Effective construction planning and scheduling is the first and crucial step towards a successful and efficient construction project. All succeeding tasks, or activities, should follow the planning stage. The planning and scheduling process is arduous, complex and time-consuming. Even experienced construction planners find it impossible to construct a comprehensive and faultless master construction plan, and during construction operations make reviews and updates as necessary. These reviews and updates bring waste and increase the project duration and cost. A literature review clarifies the definition of construction planning and scheduling and resource planning used in this study is based on current and past approaches related to optimization methods. Conventional computer-assisted technologies such as computer simulation, 4D CAD, Building Information Modelling (BIM), virtual construction, and virtual prototyping (VP) are studied and examined, the aim being to find potential technologies which help to optimize and visualize the construction plans and schedules in order to reduce construction plans, schedules review and update frequency.; The core of the research methodology for this study is action research which helps to develop the framework for integrated planning using VP technology enabled resource analysis. The cyclic process of action research is adopted 1) identification of construction planning and critical issues 2) development of the solution framework 3) implementation and test 4) feedback. Site validation was held during the application of the VP technology. Also, focus group meetings were held at which feedback and comments were collected to enable modifications of the developed VP system to better achieve optimized plans and schedules. A solution framework was implemented for two case studies representing two different types of project. The first implementation was conducted on a building site to demonstrate the use of a virtual prototyping enabled resource analysis to reallocate space and logistics on an access road and also to arrange tower cranes to achieve a 6-day floor construction cycle. The second implementation applied to a bridge project which demonstrated the use of VP in the design and location of a temporary working platform on a difficult steeply sloping site. The structure for integrated planning was modified to fulfill the needs of the bridge project. In this case study, the temporary platform design and the allocation of plant resources were interdependent. The results of this research study encourage planners to test the various construction plans using VP system. Better understanding of the construction process and prediction of possible mistakes is enabled. As a result, planners are more able to identify the optimal construction plan.<br/><br/>Description: xvi, 176 leaves : col. ill. ; 30 cm.; PolyU Library Call No.: [THS] LG51 .H577P BRE 2012 ChanK http://hdl.handle.net/10397/5458 Title: Barriers to Building Energy Efficiency (BEE) promotion : a transaction costs perspective<br/><br/>Authors: Qian, Kun Queena<br/><br/>Abstract: Worldwide, buildings account for a surprisingly high 40% of global energy consumption, and the resulting carbon footprint significantly exceeds that of all forms of transportation combined. Large and attractive opportunities exist to reduce buildings' energy use at lower costs and higher returns than in other sectors. These reductions are fundamental to achieving the International Energy Agency's (IEA) target of a 77% reduction in the planet's carbon footprint to meet the desired 2050 baseline, by reaching the CO{208} levels called for by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This thesis analyzes the concerns of the market stakeholders, mainly real estate developers and end-users, in terms of transaction costs as they make decisions about investing in Building Energy Efficiency (BEE). It provides a detailed analysis of the current situation and future prospects for BEE adoption by the market's stakeholders. It delineates the market and lays out the economic and institutional barriers to the large-scale deployment of energy-efficient building techniques. Research aim and objectives: The aim of this research is to investigate the barriers raised by transaction costs that hinder market stakeholders from investing in Building Energy Efficiency (BEE). It explains interactions among stakeholders in general and in the specific case of Hong Kong as they consider transaction costs. It focuses on the influence of transaction costs on the decision-making of the stakeholders during the entire process of real estate development. The objectives are as follows. (1) To establish an analytical framework for understanding the barriers to BEE investment with consideration of transaction costs, by: (i) identifying the business barriers to BEE for market stakeholders: the developers and end-users; and (ii) investigating the stakeholders' transaction costs as business barriers to BEE in the real estate development process. (2) To build a theoretical game model of decision making among the BEE market stakeholders to explain: (i) why, at a general level, transaction costs affect stakeholders' decisions in investing in BEE; and (ii) how the dominant factors of transaction costs affect stakeholders' decisions. (3) To study the empirical data from questionnaire surveys of building designers and from focused interviews with real estate developers in Hong Kong: (i) to find out the real market concerns in practice; and (ii)to identify the transaction costs concerns that are specific to real estate development involving BEE. (4) To triangulate the study's empirical findings with those of the theoretical model and analytical framework: (i) to demonstrate how the theoretical game model approach and analytical framework can be used to explain the general workings of the BEE market and also to accommodate specific operations in different institutions; and (ii) to explore how institutions might help overcome BEE barriers for different market stakeholders in terms of transaction costs and what roles government might play in promoting BEE.; This study uses transaction cost economics (TCE) to investigate the barriers that transaction costs raise for stakeholders who might otherwise develop or purchase BEE buildings. It also develops a theoretical game model to simulate the interaction among the developers and end-users and the logic of their decision-making strategies, which lay out the rationales for their choices and the influence of various transaction costs. Policy implications are thus drawn from the rationale of decision making by market stakeholders. The conclusions are augmented and reinforced by survey data from building designers, a relatively neutral party in real estate transactions, to show their perspective on green building and energy efficiency in Asia. A comprehensive approach, involving an investigation of all the stages of real estate development and analyzing information gathered in interviews with major real estate developers and their representatives in Hong Kong, is then used to lay out possible negative concerns about transaction costs that would make these actors hesitant to move forward with BEE. The empirical study further explains the game theoretic results and validates the model with qualitative data on actual practices. The study shows that a coherent institutional framework needs to be established to ensure that the design and implementation of BEE policies acknowledge the concerns of market stakeholders by taking transaction costs into consideration. Regulatory and incentive options should be integrated into BEE policies to minimize efficiency gaps and to realize a sizeable increase in the number of energy-efficient buildings in the next decades. Specifically, the analysis shows that a thorough understanding of the transaction costs borne by particular stakeholders could improve the energy efficiency of buildings, even without improvements in currently available technology.<br/><br/>Description: xviii, 242 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm.; PolyU Library Call No.: [THS] LG51 .H577P BRE 2012 Qian http://hdl.handle.net/10397/5453 Title: Relationships between safety climate and safety performance of repair, maintenance, minor alteration and addition (RMAA) works<br/><br/>Authors: Hon, Ka Hung<br/><br/>Abstract: Repair, maintenance, minor alteration, and addition (RMAA) works are playing an increasingly important role in the construction industry of developed economies. Research on the safety performance of RMAA works, however, has been limited. A sharp increase in the percentage of accidents on RMAA worksites has been noted in Hong Kong, from 17.9% in 1998 to 51.3% in 2008. Even more shockingly, the RMAA sector accounted for 66.7% of all fatalities in the construction industry in 2010. Unsafe behavior is considered one of the key causes of accidents. Thus, the organizational factors that influence individual safety behavior at work continue to be the focus of many studies. The safety climate, which reflects the true priority of safety in an organization, has drawn much attention. The present study aims to examine the relationships between the safety climate of RMAA works and safety performance. Its objectives are to examine the safety problems and practices of RMAA works; identify the safety climate factors of RMAA works; scrutinize the relationships between the safety climate and the safety performance of RMAA works; examine how demographic variables affect the levels of safety climate; and recommend strategies for improving safety of RMAA works. A sequential mixed methods research design is adopted, employing both qualitative and quantitative research strategies. Data are collected through interviews, Delphi surveys and questionnaire surveys.; In the current study, the major causes of RMAA accidents and the difficulties of implementing safety practices of RMAA works have been unveiled. The safety climate factors of RMAA works which encapsulate 22 variables are derived by exploratory factor analysis and validated by confirmatory factor analysis. The three key RMAA safety climate factors are found to be: (1) management commitment to occupational health and safety and employee involvement, applicability of safety rules and practices; and (3) responsibility for health and safety. After testing and validation by running a structural equation modeling analysis separately on two equal halves of the data, the structural equation model of safety climate and safety performance of RMAA works shows that safety climate is positively related to safety participation and safety compliance, but negatively related to injuries. Safety climate is a valid construct for explaining and predicting safety performance. Strategies for improving the safety of RMAA works are proposed. The safety awareness of RMAA workers needs to be raised. RMAA subcontractors with good track records of safety performance should be selected for bidding. The safety of RMAA works should be promoted. The current study sheds light on how to further enhance construction safety. It contributes to filling the research gap arising from limited safety studies in the RMAA sector, a sector of rising importance. The discovery of the three key RMAA safety climate factors enables industry practitioners to assess the safety climate level of their RMAA projects, and to identify any management and system deficiencies. The model revealing the causal relationship between safety climate and safety performance of RMAA works should be useful for safety professionals in the industry to measure, monitor, and improve safety performance. Finally, recommendations are also offered for various stakeholders to improve the safety of the RMAA sector.<br/><br/>Description: xiv, 226 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm.; PolyU Library Call No.: [THS] LG51 .H577P BRE 2012 Hon