An alternative heuristic method for scheduling repetitive projects in which resources are limited and activities may be executed with multiple modes of resource demands associated with different durations is proposed. Unlike general heuristic methods that separately analyze each competing...

In every country there is a hidden economy operating alongside the formal economy. The published national statistics record only the formal economy. These statistics indicate that the construction industry is an important source of both wealth creation and employment despite the fact that they...

Interest in construction industry (CI) innovation, particularly in information communication technology (ICT), has been steadily growing with the advent and widespread use of the Internet. However, despite its potential for delivering competitive advantage, many companies have failed to...

Significant expenditures of time, money and resources, both human and material, are wasted each year as a result of inefficient or non-existent quality management procedures. In an attempt to improve their market competitiveness, by limiting the extent of non-value-adding activities, some...

Small construction knowledge-intensive professional service firms (SCKIPSFs) are becoming increasingly important agents of innovation within the construction industry. The nature and process of innovation in SCKIPSFs, however, is generally considered through the constraining prism of research...

Survey data from Tulsa, Oklahoma residents are used to examine individual valuations of safe rooms. The study utilises two measures of individual valuations, the maximum willingness to pay (WTP) and willingness to accept (WTA) for safe rooms. The primary research questions are concerned with...

Raised floor systems (RFS) were initially developed for computer room applications. As an alternative for general office space fitout, they have not been widely accepted, particularly in Australia. Despite the potential exhibited, such as improved ventilation and air quality when used with...

In Taiwan, contractors are becoming specialized in certain types of construction in an increasingly competitive environment and this specialization requires some scheduling models to provide better scheduling results for each type of construction. A new practical method, Graphical-Based...

A new conceptual construction cost estimating method, namely, Principal Item Ratios Estimating Method (PIREM), is presented. The proposed PIREM integrates several existing conceptual estimating methods (including parametric estimating, ratios estimating, and cost significant model) with advanced...