International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, 2021
PurposeThis paper develops a platform that can be used to determine how to effectively and effici... more PurposeThis paper develops a platform that can be used to determine how to effectively and efficiently deal with a large number of temporary facilities under a constrained site condition(s). The ultimate goal is to reduce the material handling costs between transformation phases of construction works occurring during the project's development period.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical and deductive research is first adopted to mathematical model dynamic site layout planning using the branch and bond algorithm (B&B). Second, a real-life construction project is examined to illustrate how dynamic site layout planning (using the aforementioned B&B algorithm and a computer software program called LINGO) can reduce the material handling costs. The application of the proposed methodology is then showcased against a case study that utilizes a comparative analysis between the “dynamic” and “statistic” site planning approaches.FindingsBy dividing the construction period into different ph...
Public-private partnership (PPP)-led infrastructure development has been crucial in China as it h... more Public-private partnership (PPP)-led infrastructure development has been crucial in China as it has in many other countries. However, several obstacles in the field tend to challenge its development. Based on survey responses from PPP practitioners and professionals in Hong Kong and mainland China, this study analyzes and ranks the key barriers to PPP projects. Our findings suggest that both groups classify the critical obstacles to PPP consistently, albeit with some divergences in ranking them. Reflecting mainly from the perspective of professionals, the study also proposes some suggestions for mitigating these obstacles, so it could contribute to the effective formulation of PPP and successful implementation of PPP-led infrastructure projects in China as well as elsewhere.
Rapid urbanization has been a boon for industrial growth in Bangladesh, leading the Dhaka megapol... more Rapid urbanization has been a boon for industrial growth in Bangladesh, leading the Dhaka megapolis to become one of the least livable places in the world. These circumstances, however, have received little attention by policy makers and in academic research. Using mainly secondary data, this article explores the water quality of the river Buriganga that flows across Dhaka and identifies major sources of pollutants. While much of the article analyzes the sources and extent of pollution, it also points toward a great threat to public health from the presence of high levels of heavy metals, such as chromium, lead, and iron, as well as chemicals, including ammonia and phosphate. Moreover, the article recommends some policy changes that could potentially reduce pollution levels and boost water sustainability not only in Dhaka but also in other fast-growing cities in the least developed countries (LDCs).
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2019
Purpose: Construction workers’ reactions to safety-related issues during operation vary from pers... more Purpose: Construction workers’ reactions to safety-related issues during operation vary from person to person due to their different occupational levels, which can be attributed to various influencing factors and their correspondingly complicated interactions. This research aims to propose an integrated framework to combine the concepts of these factors and provide a holistic interpretation of the interrelationship among them. Methods: Based on items that were mainly extracted from competency theory, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to identify the critical factors from the data collected from 243 scaffolders on Wuhan Metro construction sites. The interactions among the identified factors were then analyzed, and the safety competency model was thus established with the use of structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: A total of 17 items were identified as critical to workers’ safety competency, and these were further tested a...
An important and basic strategy for facilitating the inclusion and daily life of elderly in accor... more An important and basic strategy for facilitating the inclusion and daily life of elderly in accordance with those living in public rental housing buildings is to allow their circulation to be barrier-free and self-supported. Therefore, the provision of a handrail guide could improve their living standard. This paper develops a universal design guide for handrails focusing on the needs of elderly. Fifteen routes with mostly elderly were selected and targeted for evaluating the existing problems with handrail provision. Surveys and informal interviews with elderly, adults, and children were also conducted to further investigate their needs, their ease of existing facilities, and possible future implementation to improve their ease. From the survey results, it was found that most of the existing problems with handrail layouts exist within the community. In addition to standardizing, modifying, and suggesting the ideas on handrail design and layout, the promotion of the ideas from unive...
Balancing a conflict between cultural heritage and development is an important topic for our soci... more Balancing a conflict between cultural heritage and development is an important topic for our society around the world. In many countries, historic buildings are well-preserved for economically viable uses. Lui Seng Chun is a Grade 1 historic building in Hong Kong. It is not only has collective memory for local residents, but also requires particular expertise and care. To encourage cultural tourism and ensure a good adaptive reuse of Lui Seng Chun project, the government has invited non-profit making organizations with charitable status and relevant experience to operate the building through applying the "Revitalizing historic buildings through partnership scheme". This historic building can be allocated for cultural or commercial uses. Therefore, this paper explores public opinions on governmental measures and the introduction of conservation and revitalization of historic buildings as well as their comments on the reuse plan of the Lui Seng Chun project by conducting a questionnaire survey. Learning from the Lui Seng Chun project, the government should makes effort for protecting our heritage assets and considering public wants, a balance between development and heritage conservation can be achieved as a win-win situation.
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Engineering Sustainability, 2017
The construction industry in developed economies is suffering from a shortage of workers, trigger... more The construction industry in developed economies is suffering from a shortage of workers, triggering project cost escalations and project delays and suppressing the whole economy. This paper aims to explore the perceptions of the general public and construction workers towards workforce shortages in the Hong Kong construction industry and identifies the critical factors affecting their intention to join the industry. The triangulation approach was adopted in this study and a street survey was conducted in grass-roots areas in Hong Kong. The questionnaire was formatted using a five-point Likert scale and semi-structured interviews with ten experienced workers were used to validate and interpret the results from the street survey results. The triangulation approach found that ‘harsh working conditions’, ‘job instability’ and ‘lack of career prospects’ are the primary barriers dissuading the public to join the construction industry. This paper provides insights into the critical factor...
The Open Construction and Building Technology Journal, 2008
Pneumoconiosis is considered as one of the hazardous chronic health diseases in the Hong Kong con... more Pneumoconiosis is considered as one of the hazardous chronic health diseases in the Hong Kong construction industry. Most frontline workers lack proper education and their health and safety awareness is relatively low. Therefore, management of an organization plays a momentous role to implement the control of hazards within organizations and to incorporate health and safety into their operations. Personal protective equipment is designed, only after all health and safety measures, to remove and to control health and safety hazards. In the case of respiratory hazards, the hazard at source is impossible to entirely eliminate. Thus, wearing the personal respiratory protective equipment against the health and safety illnesses becomes critical. This paper examines awareness and attitude in using the personal respiratory protective equipment in the Hong Kong construction industry. Questionnaire survey and structured interviews are conducted. From the survey results, it is found that awareness and understanding of the health and safety hazards, is insufficient. Moreover, workers are not familiar with the risks of the equipment fitting, and health and safety. Health and safety awareness can influence health and safety attitude and behaviour. The low awareness of health and safety would make worker more vulnerable to illness. Recommendations to improve health and safety awareness and understanding of health and safety diseases are also given in this study.
International Journal of Information Technology Project Management, 2014
Genetic algorithms (GAs) have found many applications in various fields such as physics, signal p... more Genetic algorithms (GAs) have found many applications in various fields such as physics, signal processing, artificial intelligence and recently construction engineering management. For a long time, GAs are usually criticized to be time-consuming, making it unpractical for real-time applications. This paper presents a new technique which can be used: (1) to automate construction activities, and (2) to improve building information modeling which has become an attractive research topic around the world. Different from the generic GA techniques employed in the literature, this paper proposes a new GA using hardware with field-programmable gate arrays. The proposed technique is shown to improve speed and lessen computational power. Hardware implementation of GA using static random access memory-based field-programmable gate arrays with synthesizable very hardware description language coding is introduced. Detailed analyses on the field-programmable gate arrays are given which show that ...
Regarding occupational health and safety, musculoskeletal problems are serious injuries which, ho... more Regarding occupational health and safety, musculoskeletal problems are serious injuries which, however, are always neglected by most construction workers (Washington State Department of Labor and Industries 2007). Limited research has been recorded in work‐related musculoskeletal symptoms, especially in the construction industry. The aim of this paper is to study frequency and continuity of musculoskeletal symptoms for local construction workers. A questionnaire survey and structured interviews are conducted. It is found that the musculoskeletal symptom is common among most construction workers, practically in their upper extremities and lower back. All respondents reported that they had experienced of at least one musculoskeletal symptom in the 11 body locations including neck, shoulder, upper back, upper arm, elbow, forearm, wrist, lower back, hip, knee, and ankle. Recommendations to reduce problems occurred for work‐related musculoskeletal symptoms are also discussed. Santrauka P...
Safety helmets contribute to the protection of head and wearing it is a statutory requirement in ... more Safety helmets contribute to the protection of head and wearing it is a statutory requirement in Hong Kong construction sites. However, there is a lack of secured system between the helmet and head which caused rolling off of helmet in few circumstances. A chin strap has a design function that secures the head and helmet in order to prevent it from rolling off. This paper aims to identify the current usage, safety performance and negative impact of using chin straps on safety helmets in the Hong Kong construction industry. It is found that effectively using chin straps can secure the helmets onto head and prevent it from rolling off. However, retractable chin straps brought greater discomfort to the workers than adjustable chin straps. It is also figured out when workers did not wear chin straps, there are few circumstances that will cause the helmets to roll off such as heading up/down, windy condition and slight impact. The most significant finding is that there is inadequate knowledge and cognition for workers who did not wear chin straps. It is thus necessary for the relevant government departments to revise the statutory requirements on safety helmets. Construction companies should also encourage the workers to use chin straps so that the safety performance of construction industry can be improved.
Based on Genetic Algorithms (GAs) with the matrix approach, the presented model introduces a pre-... more Based on Genetic Algorithms (GAs) with the matrix approach, the presented model introduces a pre-decision algorithm combining electronic spreadsheets to visually unfold the precedent relationship of activities in project scheduling problems. Trying to avoid large modification to traditional genetic algorithm operators and chromosome structures, the proposed method is improved by reducing time consumption in searching solutions. To demonstrate the technique, two types of scheduling problems for the construction industry are described and tested: traditional contracts with fixed finishing time constraint and the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contracts which have a flexible finishing time with a reward/penalty arrangement. The results clearly show that the model can generate a promising upgrading when compared with the use of traditional GA method in chromosome structures and searching time.
This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the a... more This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: http://www.elsevier.com/copyright
International Journal of Construction Management, 2013
This paper investigates the association between the mindsets of construction managers on the acce... more This paper investigates the association between the mindsets of construction managers on the acceptance of accident causation theories and the vigour of implementing safety measures on accident prevention in the Hong Kong construction industry. A questionnaire survey is conducted. The vigour of implementing each accident prevention measure is predicted by a combination of accident causation theories. Each measure is associated with a unique set of predictors revealing management mindsets in pursuit of accident prevention. A new model for decision making of implementing accident prevention measures is then developed and its application is also demonstrated in this paper. This paper found that Hong Kong construction managers have exhibited their commitment to safety by implementing all the accident prevention measures with above average vigour levels. Referring to the results of the correlation and linear regression between the accident causation theories and the accident prevention measures, the extent of construction managers' acceptance of the accident causation theories do not reflect any linear correlation on their vigour of implementing the accident prevention measures for Safety pre-task planning (M 5), Employee pre-qualification (M 6), Safety training (M 8), Smoking, alcohol and drug ban program (M 10), and Safety meetings (M 13). The systematic and logical based approach in mapping out the specific accident prevention measures can be adopted by the construction managers so that they can implement appropriate measures for safety performance improvement.
PurposeThe aim of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of the enhanced school facilitie... more PurposeThe aim of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of the enhanced school facilities and the impacts of this enhancement on the learning behaviors of studentsDesign/methodology/approachA pre‐ and post‐occupancy evaluation questionnaire was administered in 2003‐2004 to 750 primary students who had studied in both the old schoolhouses and the new Millennium Schoolhouses.FindingsThe results revealed that all of the FM components except teaching tools were improved in the millennium schools, while most of the learning behaviour (LB) components showed no changes. However, an interesting finding was that most of the improved FM components correlated to the enhanced LB of the students in the millennium schools.Research limitations/implicationsThere was only a three to four months period between the pre‐ and post‐occupancy evaluation in the study. To ensure the effectiveness of upgraded FM in millennium primary schools and to understand the long‐term impacts on the learning ou...
... Supervision Plan); 3. current company policy; 4. senior management commitment; and 5. attitud... more ... Supervision Plan); 3. current company policy; 4. senior management commitment; and 5. attitudetowards site safety ... All the questions were weighted according to their degree of importance, which had been determined ... 38. In the fi ve questions in Table 3 on attitudes to general ...
... In fact, safety committees can improve communication and the safety awareness ofconstruction ... more ... In fact, safety committees can improve communication and the safety awareness ofconstruction site personnel. ... Lingard, H. and Rowlinson, S. (1994) Construction site safety in Hong Kong. Construction Management and Economics, 12(6), 501ą 10. ...
PurposeOwing to limited space, reducing the waste going to landfills has become a pressing issue ... more PurposeOwing to limited space, reducing the waste going to landfills has become a pressing issue in Hong Kong. As most of the solid waste was generated from construction activity, the Hong Kong Government has instituted a number of measures aimed at reducing waste from this source. However, it appears that the application of these measures has been of limited effectiveness. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of implementing regulatory measures for reducing construction waste in Hong Kong.Design/methodology/approachThe data used for the analysis are from a survey to construction professionals in the local industry by means of questionnaire, interview discussions and case studies. The survey examined the commitments and responsibilities imposed on project participants for implementing seven major regulatory waste management controlling measures: legislative controls; controlling public filling facilities; controlling landfill areas; providing on‐site ...
International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, 2021
PurposeThis paper develops a platform that can be used to determine how to effectively and effici... more PurposeThis paper develops a platform that can be used to determine how to effectively and efficiently deal with a large number of temporary facilities under a constrained site condition(s). The ultimate goal is to reduce the material handling costs between transformation phases of construction works occurring during the project's development period.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical and deductive research is first adopted to mathematical model dynamic site layout planning using the branch and bond algorithm (B&B). Second, a real-life construction project is examined to illustrate how dynamic site layout planning (using the aforementioned B&B algorithm and a computer software program called LINGO) can reduce the material handling costs. The application of the proposed methodology is then showcased against a case study that utilizes a comparative analysis between the “dynamic” and “statistic” site planning approaches.FindingsBy dividing the construction period into different ph...
Public-private partnership (PPP)-led infrastructure development has been crucial in China as it h... more Public-private partnership (PPP)-led infrastructure development has been crucial in China as it has in many other countries. However, several obstacles in the field tend to challenge its development. Based on survey responses from PPP practitioners and professionals in Hong Kong and mainland China, this study analyzes and ranks the key barriers to PPP projects. Our findings suggest that both groups classify the critical obstacles to PPP consistently, albeit with some divergences in ranking them. Reflecting mainly from the perspective of professionals, the study also proposes some suggestions for mitigating these obstacles, so it could contribute to the effective formulation of PPP and successful implementation of PPP-led infrastructure projects in China as well as elsewhere.
Rapid urbanization has been a boon for industrial growth in Bangladesh, leading the Dhaka megapol... more Rapid urbanization has been a boon for industrial growth in Bangladesh, leading the Dhaka megapolis to become one of the least livable places in the world. These circumstances, however, have received little attention by policy makers and in academic research. Using mainly secondary data, this article explores the water quality of the river Buriganga that flows across Dhaka and identifies major sources of pollutants. While much of the article analyzes the sources and extent of pollution, it also points toward a great threat to public health from the presence of high levels of heavy metals, such as chromium, lead, and iron, as well as chemicals, including ammonia and phosphate. Moreover, the article recommends some policy changes that could potentially reduce pollution levels and boost water sustainability not only in Dhaka but also in other fast-growing cities in the least developed countries (LDCs).
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2019
Purpose: Construction workers’ reactions to safety-related issues during operation vary from pers... more Purpose: Construction workers’ reactions to safety-related issues during operation vary from person to person due to their different occupational levels, which can be attributed to various influencing factors and their correspondingly complicated interactions. This research aims to propose an integrated framework to combine the concepts of these factors and provide a holistic interpretation of the interrelationship among them. Methods: Based on items that were mainly extracted from competency theory, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to identify the critical factors from the data collected from 243 scaffolders on Wuhan Metro construction sites. The interactions among the identified factors were then analyzed, and the safety competency model was thus established with the use of structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: A total of 17 items were identified as critical to workers’ safety competency, and these were further tested a...
An important and basic strategy for facilitating the inclusion and daily life of elderly in accor... more An important and basic strategy for facilitating the inclusion and daily life of elderly in accordance with those living in public rental housing buildings is to allow their circulation to be barrier-free and self-supported. Therefore, the provision of a handrail guide could improve their living standard. This paper develops a universal design guide for handrails focusing on the needs of elderly. Fifteen routes with mostly elderly were selected and targeted for evaluating the existing problems with handrail provision. Surveys and informal interviews with elderly, adults, and children were also conducted to further investigate their needs, their ease of existing facilities, and possible future implementation to improve their ease. From the survey results, it was found that most of the existing problems with handrail layouts exist within the community. In addition to standardizing, modifying, and suggesting the ideas on handrail design and layout, the promotion of the ideas from unive...
Balancing a conflict between cultural heritage and development is an important topic for our soci... more Balancing a conflict between cultural heritage and development is an important topic for our society around the world. In many countries, historic buildings are well-preserved for economically viable uses. Lui Seng Chun is a Grade 1 historic building in Hong Kong. It is not only has collective memory for local residents, but also requires particular expertise and care. To encourage cultural tourism and ensure a good adaptive reuse of Lui Seng Chun project, the government has invited non-profit making organizations with charitable status and relevant experience to operate the building through applying the "Revitalizing historic buildings through partnership scheme". This historic building can be allocated for cultural or commercial uses. Therefore, this paper explores public opinions on governmental measures and the introduction of conservation and revitalization of historic buildings as well as their comments on the reuse plan of the Lui Seng Chun project by conducting a questionnaire survey. Learning from the Lui Seng Chun project, the government should makes effort for protecting our heritage assets and considering public wants, a balance between development and heritage conservation can be achieved as a win-win situation.
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Engineering Sustainability, 2017
The construction industry in developed economies is suffering from a shortage of workers, trigger... more The construction industry in developed economies is suffering from a shortage of workers, triggering project cost escalations and project delays and suppressing the whole economy. This paper aims to explore the perceptions of the general public and construction workers towards workforce shortages in the Hong Kong construction industry and identifies the critical factors affecting their intention to join the industry. The triangulation approach was adopted in this study and a street survey was conducted in grass-roots areas in Hong Kong. The questionnaire was formatted using a five-point Likert scale and semi-structured interviews with ten experienced workers were used to validate and interpret the results from the street survey results. The triangulation approach found that ‘harsh working conditions’, ‘job instability’ and ‘lack of career prospects’ are the primary barriers dissuading the public to join the construction industry. This paper provides insights into the critical factor...
The Open Construction and Building Technology Journal, 2008
Pneumoconiosis is considered as one of the hazardous chronic health diseases in the Hong Kong con... more Pneumoconiosis is considered as one of the hazardous chronic health diseases in the Hong Kong construction industry. Most frontline workers lack proper education and their health and safety awareness is relatively low. Therefore, management of an organization plays a momentous role to implement the control of hazards within organizations and to incorporate health and safety into their operations. Personal protective equipment is designed, only after all health and safety measures, to remove and to control health and safety hazards. In the case of respiratory hazards, the hazard at source is impossible to entirely eliminate. Thus, wearing the personal respiratory protective equipment against the health and safety illnesses becomes critical. This paper examines awareness and attitude in using the personal respiratory protective equipment in the Hong Kong construction industry. Questionnaire survey and structured interviews are conducted. From the survey results, it is found that awareness and understanding of the health and safety hazards, is insufficient. Moreover, workers are not familiar with the risks of the equipment fitting, and health and safety. Health and safety awareness can influence health and safety attitude and behaviour. The low awareness of health and safety would make worker more vulnerable to illness. Recommendations to improve health and safety awareness and understanding of health and safety diseases are also given in this study.
International Journal of Information Technology Project Management, 2014
Genetic algorithms (GAs) have found many applications in various fields such as physics, signal p... more Genetic algorithms (GAs) have found many applications in various fields such as physics, signal processing, artificial intelligence and recently construction engineering management. For a long time, GAs are usually criticized to be time-consuming, making it unpractical for real-time applications. This paper presents a new technique which can be used: (1) to automate construction activities, and (2) to improve building information modeling which has become an attractive research topic around the world. Different from the generic GA techniques employed in the literature, this paper proposes a new GA using hardware with field-programmable gate arrays. The proposed technique is shown to improve speed and lessen computational power. Hardware implementation of GA using static random access memory-based field-programmable gate arrays with synthesizable very hardware description language coding is introduced. Detailed analyses on the field-programmable gate arrays are given which show that ...
Regarding occupational health and safety, musculoskeletal problems are serious injuries which, ho... more Regarding occupational health and safety, musculoskeletal problems are serious injuries which, however, are always neglected by most construction workers (Washington State Department of Labor and Industries 2007). Limited research has been recorded in work‐related musculoskeletal symptoms, especially in the construction industry. The aim of this paper is to study frequency and continuity of musculoskeletal symptoms for local construction workers. A questionnaire survey and structured interviews are conducted. It is found that the musculoskeletal symptom is common among most construction workers, practically in their upper extremities and lower back. All respondents reported that they had experienced of at least one musculoskeletal symptom in the 11 body locations including neck, shoulder, upper back, upper arm, elbow, forearm, wrist, lower back, hip, knee, and ankle. Recommendations to reduce problems occurred for work‐related musculoskeletal symptoms are also discussed. Santrauka P...
Safety helmets contribute to the protection of head and wearing it is a statutory requirement in ... more Safety helmets contribute to the protection of head and wearing it is a statutory requirement in Hong Kong construction sites. However, there is a lack of secured system between the helmet and head which caused rolling off of helmet in few circumstances. A chin strap has a design function that secures the head and helmet in order to prevent it from rolling off. This paper aims to identify the current usage, safety performance and negative impact of using chin straps on safety helmets in the Hong Kong construction industry. It is found that effectively using chin straps can secure the helmets onto head and prevent it from rolling off. However, retractable chin straps brought greater discomfort to the workers than adjustable chin straps. It is also figured out when workers did not wear chin straps, there are few circumstances that will cause the helmets to roll off such as heading up/down, windy condition and slight impact. The most significant finding is that there is inadequate knowledge and cognition for workers who did not wear chin straps. It is thus necessary for the relevant government departments to revise the statutory requirements on safety helmets. Construction companies should also encourage the workers to use chin straps so that the safety performance of construction industry can be improved.
Based on Genetic Algorithms (GAs) with the matrix approach, the presented model introduces a pre-... more Based on Genetic Algorithms (GAs) with the matrix approach, the presented model introduces a pre-decision algorithm combining electronic spreadsheets to visually unfold the precedent relationship of activities in project scheduling problems. Trying to avoid large modification to traditional genetic algorithm operators and chromosome structures, the proposed method is improved by reducing time consumption in searching solutions. To demonstrate the technique, two types of scheduling problems for the construction industry are described and tested: traditional contracts with fixed finishing time constraint and the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contracts which have a flexible finishing time with a reward/penalty arrangement. The results clearly show that the model can generate a promising upgrading when compared with the use of traditional GA method in chromosome structures and searching time.
This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the a... more This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: http://www.elsevier.com/copyright
International Journal of Construction Management, 2013
This paper investigates the association between the mindsets of construction managers on the acce... more This paper investigates the association between the mindsets of construction managers on the acceptance of accident causation theories and the vigour of implementing safety measures on accident prevention in the Hong Kong construction industry. A questionnaire survey is conducted. The vigour of implementing each accident prevention measure is predicted by a combination of accident causation theories. Each measure is associated with a unique set of predictors revealing management mindsets in pursuit of accident prevention. A new model for decision making of implementing accident prevention measures is then developed and its application is also demonstrated in this paper. This paper found that Hong Kong construction managers have exhibited their commitment to safety by implementing all the accident prevention measures with above average vigour levels. Referring to the results of the correlation and linear regression between the accident causation theories and the accident prevention measures, the extent of construction managers' acceptance of the accident causation theories do not reflect any linear correlation on their vigour of implementing the accident prevention measures for Safety pre-task planning (M 5), Employee pre-qualification (M 6), Safety training (M 8), Smoking, alcohol and drug ban program (M 10), and Safety meetings (M 13). The systematic and logical based approach in mapping out the specific accident prevention measures can be adopted by the construction managers so that they can implement appropriate measures for safety performance improvement.
PurposeThe aim of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of the enhanced school facilitie... more PurposeThe aim of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of the enhanced school facilities and the impacts of this enhancement on the learning behaviors of studentsDesign/methodology/approachA pre‐ and post‐occupancy evaluation questionnaire was administered in 2003‐2004 to 750 primary students who had studied in both the old schoolhouses and the new Millennium Schoolhouses.FindingsThe results revealed that all of the FM components except teaching tools were improved in the millennium schools, while most of the learning behaviour (LB) components showed no changes. However, an interesting finding was that most of the improved FM components correlated to the enhanced LB of the students in the millennium schools.Research limitations/implicationsThere was only a three to four months period between the pre‐ and post‐occupancy evaluation in the study. To ensure the effectiveness of upgraded FM in millennium primary schools and to understand the long‐term impacts on the learning ou...
... Supervision Plan); 3. current company policy; 4. senior management commitment; and 5. attitud... more ... Supervision Plan); 3. current company policy; 4. senior management commitment; and 5. attitudetowards site safety ... All the questions were weighted according to their degree of importance, which had been determined ... 38. In the fi ve questions in Table 3 on attitudes to general ...
... In fact, safety committees can improve communication and the safety awareness ofconstruction ... more ... In fact, safety committees can improve communication and the safety awareness ofconstruction site personnel. ... Lingard, H. and Rowlinson, S. (1994) Construction site safety in Hong Kong. Construction Management and Economics, 12(6), 501ą 10. ...
PurposeOwing to limited space, reducing the waste going to landfills has become a pressing issue ... more PurposeOwing to limited space, reducing the waste going to landfills has become a pressing issue in Hong Kong. As most of the solid waste was generated from construction activity, the Hong Kong Government has instituted a number of measures aimed at reducing waste from this source. However, it appears that the application of these measures has been of limited effectiveness. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of implementing regulatory measures for reducing construction waste in Hong Kong.Design/methodology/approachThe data used for the analysis are from a survey to construction professionals in the local industry by means of questionnaire, interview discussions and case studies. The survey examined the commitments and responsibilities imposed on project participants for implementing seven major regulatory waste management controlling measures: legislative controls; controlling public filling facilities; controlling landfill areas; providing on‐site ...
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